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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804501">Yang Xiao Long: The Song of the Raven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeroan/pseuds/Zeroan'>Zeroan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>RWBY Superhero Universe [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:49:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>66,758</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804501</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeroan/pseuds/Zeroan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One fateful day, Yang heard the notes of a song best left alone. The only logical thing to do, then, was to follow them to their source.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>RWBY Superhero Universe [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/783903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Fiery Boogaloo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shay had made a huge mistake, and that was putting it lightly. There was only one way to describe the scope of what he'd done, and that was to say that he had completely, irreparably, fucked everything up.</p><p>He jumped over the stairs' last step, reaching the top floor of the hideout, and marched straight on. He didn't stop to look back or to listen to the horrid noises coming from downstairs, he just kept moving, eyes wide and heart threatening to jump out of his mouth.</p><p>His men came out into the hallway – barely more than boys, really – wearing expressions just as ghastly as his. Through sheer luck or quick thinking on their part, they hadn't been caught down there like the rest of the crew. They were armed to the teeth, rifles and shotguns and axes, but it wouldn't be enough.</p><p>"Boss?" one of them said. "Is that – is that <em>her</em>?"</p><p>"Yes," Shay said, slowing down as he passed by. "Yes, it is."</p><p>"What is she?" another said. "I caught a glimpse of her before I ran, she – she didn't even look human! Is she a demon or-"</p><p>"She's just a woman," Shay said firmly. "And we will take her down. You boys wait here – we'll catch her when she comes up the stairs. I'll be with you in a moment, I gotta grab myself a weapon first!"</p><p>The boys nodded and gathered as one close to the top of the stairs, waiting for their chance. Shay forced himself to keep moving, the guilt eating at him. The boys didn't deserve any of this. Hopefully, she would show mercy and off them without much pain.</p><p>He entered his office at the end of the hallway and slammed the door behind him. He pushed a bookshelf in front of it, then threw himself behind his desk and opened one of the drawers. A push on a false bottom revealed a hidden compartment, full of amulets and bracers and other such trinkets.</p><p>Gunshots rang right outside, followed by screams so gruesome they made Shay's blood run cold. He ignored them the best he could as he shuffled through his stash. There had to be something there, some artifact he had snatched for just such an occasion. He had no hope of putting up a fight, he held no illusions about that, but maybe there was a way for him to escape and disappear for a while.</p><p>The screams stopped as quickly as they'd begun. In the eerie silence, Shay slowly raised his head to looked over the top of his desk. Time seemed to stop moving, and all he knew was the feeling of his own trembling body, and the knowledge that any of his thoughts might be his last.</p><p>Suddenly, the door flew open with a bang, the bookshelf launching across the room and shattering against the wall opposite. A figure stepped inside, a deathly pale face framed by a cascade of black hair and blood-red eyes that burned with a murderous rage. She held her sword low beside her, and it dripped on the floor, forming a pool of crimson, drop by drop.</p><p>"Raven." Shay stood up, raising his hands above his head. "Wait, we can talk about-"</p><p>The air shimmered around her, and the next thing Shay knew, he was being shoved against the desk, her hand closed tight around his neck.</p><p>"Ten years," Raven said. "That's how long I counted you as one of mine."</p><p>She dragged him to the very end of the desk, getting his whole body on top of it, and buried her sword just beside his head.</p><p>"I took you in when you were a pathetic shell of a man. You had <em>nothing</em>, and I gave your life meaning. And when the time came and you asked to leave, despite all the trouble you caused me for all that time, I let you," Raven said. "And <em>this </em>is how you repay my kindness. Not only did you steal from me, from me <em>personally</em>, you just had to pull this shit after, didn't you?"</p><p>"Please, Raven," Shay said, barely breathing. "I didn't mean any disrespect, I was just-"</p><p>"Save your breath." Raven spat. "You couldn't just be weak, you had to be stupid on top of that. I should have left you to starve on the side of the road."</p><p>"I'm sorry!" Shay croaked, trying to pry her fingers off his throat, but her grip was unbreakable. "I – I can still fix this. I can tell you who I sold the artifact to!"</p><p>"You couldn't tell me more than I already know. That's not what this is about," Raven said. "You betrayed the tribe. You know what the punishment for that is."</p><p>Shay shook his head. Raven couldn't mean that, not really. She <em>would </em>punish him accordingly, but for now she was just trying to scare him-</p><p>Raven raised her free hand and flicked her wrist. A portal materialized next to the wall behind him, a swirling red vortex of unquantifiable energy. Shay screamed in protest, but it fell on deaf ears as Raven lifted him up and threw him through.</p><p>Shay fell on rock-hard gray soil. He shuffled to his knees and looked around. Black fields stretched on endlessly, broken only by viscous lakes of the same color and the occasional purple crystal that sprouted from the ground. The sky was red, and though he saw no moon or stars, he had the strangest impression it was nighttime.</p><p>Shay turned around on his knees and saw Raven standing before the portal, blade in hand.</p><p>"Raven, please. You can't do this!" he said, clasping his hands and bowing his head mere inches from the ground. "You can't leave me here! I'm begging you!"</p><p>Raven studied him, a callous expression her face. "I wonder… When the Grimm come for you, will you resist? Or for once in your life, will you be sensible and accept your fate?"</p><p>She stepped back through her portal, back to Remnant. Shay jumped to his feet and ran towards it, but the portal vanished long before he reached it. He fell to his knees in despair.</p><p>The Grimm surrounded him shortly after.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>YANG XIAO LONG</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>THE SONG OF THE RAVEN</strong>
</p>
<hr/><p>Yang stirred in her bed, every buzz of her alarm bringing her closer to wakefulness. She poked a hand out from under her blankets and felt about for her Scroll, and upon finding it, struck it with the whole of her palm. After many repeated attempts, she managed to hit the snooze button, and was rewarded with blissful silence.</p><p>She withdrew her hand and pulled in the blankets, fashioning herself a warm little cocoon. <em>Five minutes</em>.</p><p>Those felt like the best five minutes of her life, and then they were over.</p><p>Yang hit her Scroll again, turning the alarm off for good this time. She sat up, stretching her arms over her head and yawning for the whole world to hear. Enough lazing about. As usual, she had a busy day ahead of her today.</p>
<hr/><p>"Need a break?" Pyrrha said, slowing down her jog to match Yang.</p><p>"Nope." Yang shook her head. "I'm doing just fine, thank you."</p><p>"There's no shame in taking a break, Yang. It's healthy, actually."</p><p>"I know! Just one more lap."</p><p>Yang immediately regretted not taking Pyrrha's offer as, with seemingly no effort, she picked up her previous pace and left Yang in the dust. Yang groaned as she watched her friend and teammate turn the corner of the park well ahead of her. If she didn't know better, she'd say Pyrrha liked to show off. It was either that, or she had a competitive edge in her. Heavens help the citizens of Remnant if both cases were true.</p><p>But who was Yang kidding? <em>She </em>was the most competitive person she knew. She'd like to believe she'd joined Pyrrha's morning routine to stay fit too, but that was far from reality. There had been a part of her that wanted to prove she could beat Pyrrha in her own turf – or rather, just one of Pyrrha's many figurative turfs. So far, Yang had only tasted disappointment. But that didn't mean she was going to swallow her pride and admit defeat.</p><p>She finished her lap around the park, joining Pyrrha on the corner they'd started at nearly an hour ago. Yang leaned on her knees, trying to keep her panting to a minimum. Pyrrha, <em>of course</em>, seemed entirely unaffected by the exercise.</p><p>"You know most people just run half an hour per day, right? An hour at most, if they're really hardcore," Yang said.</p><p>"I wouldn't really know. This is how I've always done it," Pyrrha said, shrugging. "Besides, we're not <em>most </em>people, Yang."</p><p>"Right, we're super people! People who <em>clearly </em>don't get tired by such mundane efforts," Yang said.</p><p>"I wouldn't mind it if you wanted us to ease up a bit," Pyrrha said. "The most important aspect of the exercise is staying consistent. How intense you work is up to each person."</p><p>"Hey, I'm not complaining. This pace works just fine for me," Yang said. "I don't wanna slow you down, anyway. I know you gotta stay fit for yo mans."</p><p>Pyrrha blushed. "I don't do this for Jaune. He'd accept me any way."</p><p>"Oh, I know. Still, no shame in pleasing your honey. I'm sure he appreciates it. As for me…" Yang linked her fingers behind her head and stretched her back. "The only person I stay fit for is myself!"</p><p>That was only eighty percent true. She was very aware of the people staring at them from the park or from across the street, their celebrity status having only slightly waned since they'd moved to Vale. Yang didn't mind them, as long as they remained respectful. Depending on her mood, she even welcomed the attention.</p><p>"I admire your confidence, Yang," Pyrrha said.</p><p>"Well, I've gotta be confident, to subject myself to getting trashed by you every morning," Yang said. "But guess what. Let's do another lap right now. I bet I can beat you this time."</p><p>"Yang, this isn't a competition."</p><p>Yang raised an eyebrow. Pyrrha crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.</p><p>"Look!" Yang pointed across the street. "Those disgusting <em>pigs </em>are taking high-definition pics of our butts!"</p><p>Pyrrha spun around, making a noise that fell somewhere between embarrassment and outrage. As soon as her back was turned, Yang took off running, cackling madly.</p><p>Five seconds later, Pyrrha caught up her. Another five seconds, and Pyrrha turned the corner. Ten seconds more, and she'd reached the next corner.</p><p>Yang groaned. "Come on…"</p>
<hr/><p>Yang and Pyrrha walked into the apartment.</p><p>"I'll take a shower first, if you don't mind," Pyrrha said.</p><p>"Sure, go ahead," Yang said. "My legs are gonna turn to mush any second now, so the bathroom's not a safe environment for me anyway."</p><p>Pyrrha patted her on the back. "You'll do better tomorrow!"</p><p>She walked away, and Yang limped over to the living room sofa with every intention to collapse on it and stay that way for hours. Blake, who was already sitting there reading a book, graciously slid to the right to give her the necessary space – which still wasn't enough, as she ended up with Yang's feet pushing against her face.</p><p>"I see Pyrrha worked you hard today," Blake said, trying to push Yang's ankles away with one hand.</p><p>"No, this is my own doing," Yang mumbled, letting her arm fall slack across her face. "I really should learn to cut my losses."</p><p>"That would be wise, yes," Blake said. Realizing that there was no arrangement that would allow her face and Yang's feet to coexist comfortably, she stopped pushing and let them rest on her shoulder. "You smell, by the way."</p><p>"I know. I'm sorry." Yang wiggled her toes. "Are Ruby and Weiss back from their mission yet?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Blake returned her attention to her book, and Yang let her be. The silence was nice.</p><p>"I know you're tired, but I needed to talk to you about something," Blake said, never looking away from her book. "It's serious."</p><p>Yang stretched her neck to look up at Blake. "Oh?"</p><p>"It's about Zwei," Blake said. "He's been staring at his food all morning. Hasn't taken a bite." She paused. "It's creepy."</p><p>Yang sat up, beaming. "I thought you hated Zwei, Blakey! This is great news!"</p><p>"I don't hate the dog, but that doesn't mean I like him either," Blake said. "I just feel… aggressively indifferent about him."</p><p>"Not aggressively enough to not notice something's up with him."</p><p>"I <em>said </em>it's creepy. I never said I cared."</p><p>"<em>I </em>never said <em>you </em>cared."</p><p>Blake closed her book and fixed Yang with the mother of all glares. Realizing she was on thin ice, Yang turned to look at the corner of the room, where they kept Zwei's water and food bowls. Like Blake had said, his food bowl was filled to the brim, and he was just standing in front of it, staring sharply.</p><p>"I think I know what's up," Yang said, and walked over to Zwei. Blake followed her, notably without any invitation. "Ruby has been away for a few days now, and Weiss too. You know how those two are always pampering him? He probably misses them."</p><p>"So?" Blake crossed her arms. "What's that got to do with the food?"</p><p>"Well, he craves positive attention, the little guy, especially when doing important tasks like eating and… pooping. He doesn't do many other important tasks actually," Yang said. "The point is, he needs to feel like a good boy."</p><p>"But… that's dumb," Blake said.</p><p>"Nope. That's just dog science, baby," Yang said, crouching. "Watch."</p><p>She patted Zwei on the head and ruffled the hair on the back of his neck, then pointed at the bowl. After a few seconds, Zwei made a low whine and dug into his food, gobbling up whole mouthfuls at a time.</p><p>"See?" Yang said. "It's important to let him know he did a good job after he's done, too. And now you know what to do in case this happens again while you're alone with him."</p><p>"Great," Blake said flatly, and returned to the sofa and her book.</p><p>Yang sat on the ground beside Zwei and continued to pet him, much to his joy. As he was reaching the bottom of the bowl, Jaune walked into the living room, still in his pajamas and with his hair in such state, Yang shuddered.</p><p>"Good morning," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Are Ruby and Weiss back yet?"</p><p>"If they were, you would know by the excited screeching," Yang said.</p><p>"Good point," Jaune said. "No point in going back to bed, I guess…"</p><p>Pyrrha walked out of the hallway, looking fresh and with her hair unbelievably lustrous despite having been under the showerhead only minutes earlier. Jaune woke up in an instant, his eyes going wide as he stared at her.</p><p>"Good morning, sweetie," Pyrrha said, kissing him on the cheek as she walked past.</p><p>"Good… morning." Jaune blinked. "You, uh, you look amazing, by the way!"</p><p>"Aw, thanks!" Pyrrha smiled. "The shower's free, Yang."</p><p>"Finally. Someone positively reinforce Zwei while I go un-stink myself," Yang said, getting up. She stopped in front of Jaune. "And how do <em>I </em>look?"</p><p>He studied her for a moment, pursing his lips. "For a swamp monster, you look pretty good!"</p><p>"Gosh, the honesty of a gentleman." Yang put a hand on her chest. "You better keep an eye on this one, Pyrrha. A girl might feel tempted to snatch him away."</p><p>Jaune waved a hand in front of her face. "Go take a shower, Yang."</p><p>"Alright, alright, I'm going…"</p>
<hr/><p>Yang took her sweet time cleaning up. She didn't know how Pyrrha worked her five-minute magic to look like a goddess, but Yang had her own ritual which she had perfected over the course of many years, and it had yet to fail her. It was good that she didn't live with her dad anymore, because he used to always scold her for staying almost an hour in the shower. Not that it had ever stopped her…</p><p>When she returned to the living room, then, she wasn't at all surprised to find that Ruby and Weiss had arrived and made themselves comfortable in the time she'd been away. Weiss was sitting on the couch, Blake and Pyrrha on either side of her and Zwei on her lap. Ruby was on her feet, pacing about and posing as she regaled everyone with tales of the Grimm the pair had slain, though she stopped when she saw Yang walk in.</p><p>"Yang!" Ruby hopped over to her. "Hi! I'm back!"</p><p>"I can see that," Yang said, smiling as she ruffled Ruby's hair. "Did I miss anything? Besides you, I mean." She winked, and Ruby rolled her eyes.</p><p>"Yeah, you missed a bunch! You wouldn't have, if you didn't shower in slow-motion," Ruby said.</p><p>Yang shrugged. "Can't be helped."</p><p>"Well, I'm not gonna start from the beginning because of you," Ruby said, putting her hands on her hips. "I'll just have to fill you in later, in a one-on-one session."</p><p>"Sure! Looking forward to it, Sis."</p><p>Ruby sprinted back to the middle of the room and bit her lip, chopping at the air as she recalled where she'd left off. Yang sat down on the arm of the couch beside Blake.</p><p>"Hey, Ice Queen," Yang said, nudging Weiss. "Good to see you."</p><p>"Likewise," Weiss said, raising her chin dignifiedly, though the effect was lost by her petting Zwei.</p><p>"Did my sister give you much trouble?" Yang asked. "I know she can a handful."</p><p>"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed, and kicked the ground in frustration. "Dang it, lost my train of thought."</p><p>"She was perfectly satisfactory as a combat partner, if you must know. We complement each other well," Weis said. "…Though yes, she may have gotten in my line of fire once or a dozen times."</p><p>"I always dodged, though. 'Cause I'm fast!" Ruby said. "Wait – I did it again! Everyone stop talking, I need to concentrate!"</p><p>Yang chuckled and stood up again, going to stand beside Ruby.</p><p>"Before she gets started again," she said. "I'd like to make a proposal, everybody. We all know tonight is pizza night…"</p><p>Jaune threw his arms up and howled, "Pizza night hype!" Ruby pumped her arms in support, and Zwei expressed his own excitement by barking and wagging his tail.</p><p>"<em>But </em>I was thinking, it's not often we all get to be together like this," Yang said. "So I'm suggesting we do something extra special. We're not having pizza tonight."</p><p>"We're not?" Ruby said, deflating.</p><p>"Nope. I'm making us something we can't just order. Something great!" Yang said. "I'm thinking… enchiladas!"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure you can order that too," Blake said.</p><p>"This shall be the best dinner in Hunt history!" Yang declared. "Jaune, as my cooking apprentice, you shall assist me in preparing it! Consider it a test. If you do well, we'll learn how to make our own pizza next."</p><p>Jaune's eyes lit up. "We can do that?"</p><p>"Yup! And tonight, I shall also take on a new student…" Yang tapped her chin, looking over the others as she pretended to mull over the choice. Truthfully, she already knew her victim. "Weiss Schnee!"</p><p>She pointed, and Weiss nearly jumped to her feet, only stopping because of Zwei. She hugged the dog, a look of fear and offense on her face.</p><p>"But I'm not a cook," Weiss said. "I <em>don't </em>cook."</p><p>"But you will," Yang said. "You do want to be a functional adult, yeah?"</p><p>"I… suppose that's a goal of mine, yes." Weiss frowned. "Why not Ruby, though? She never cooks either."</p><p>"That's for a good reason, trust me," Yang said, shuddering with the memory of charred ovens and fire alarms beeping across an entire house.</p><p>"That was one time, Yang, and it was a freak accident!" Ruby grumbled. "Besides, I do know how to cook. I cook all the time!"</p><p>"Ruby, I don't mean to put you down, but sticking chicken nuggets in the oven is <em>not </em>cooking. Especially when you immediately forget them about them," Yang said. She raised a hand. "We're not discussing this. As the resident chef, I have made my decision. Arc, Schnee, you shall be my assistants!"</p><p>"Sir, yes, Sir!" Jaune saluted her.</p><p>Weiss sank on the sofa, holding Zwei for support.</p><p>"Alright. Can I talk now?" Ruby looked at Yang, and she nodded. "Okay! So, uh… There were Grimm and… Maybe I shouldstart back from the beginning."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang walked into the kitchen, where she'd left her two <em>students </em>while she went to fetch her apron. A chef without an apron was no chef at all, she knew that much - and a bunch of other things as well.</p><p>She had assigned the brunt of the work to Jaune, seeing as he was the more experienced of the two – and he was turning out to be a great cook anyway. Weiss was in charge of the enchilada sauce, and for what it was worth, she didn't look <em>too </em>overwhelmed. They were working at the counter in an amicable silence, and Yang didn't fail to pounce on that opportunity.</p><p>"Hmm. What is <em>this </em>I feel in the air?" Yang walked over to the counter, putting herself between the pair. "It's something thick… Ah, it must be tension!" She puffed her cheeks, feigning innocence. "But what kind could it be…?"</p><p>Weiss glared at her, and Yang was quite content to bask in her annoyance, until she noticed that Jaune was possibly very seriously contemplating jumping into the nearest hiding place, which happened to be inside the red-hot oven.</p><p>Yang cleared her throat. "Bad joke, sorry." She patted Jaune on the back and gestured at the counter before them. "So, how are we doing over here so far? You run into any trouble, my pupil?"</p><p>"I think everything's working out," Jaune said. "I've pre-heated the oven. I just put the rice in the cooker, and I was gonna start with the beans right after that. The tortillas are over there, but I guess we don't need to touch those for now…"</p><p>"Yup, that can wait a bit," Yang said. "What about the chicken breast? It needs to be boiled, and then shredded. You should have started with that before anything else, since it takes a while longer to get done."</p><p>"I thought you were going to do all that stuff," Jaune said, rubbing his neck. "Seems a bit tricky, so…"</p><p>"It's pretty simple, actually. You can totally handle it on your own!" Yang said. "You're doing great so far, you don't need me to babysit you."</p><p>"I guess," Jaune said. "But I'm only this good because you're such a great cook and teacher!"</p><p>"I don't normally tolerate suck-ups, but you're totally right, so I'll let it slide this time."</p><p>Yang grinned. Nobody ever needed to know that, while her dad had imparted her with a lot of culinary knowledge, most of what she knew came from vague Internet recipes and late-night cooking show binges.</p><p>"Okay, I'm gonna let you get back to what you were doing before," Yang said. "Call me if you need help."</p><p>Jaune nodded, and Yang slid over to Weiss' side. She quickly realized that her previous assessment had been very wrong. Not only did Weiss look overwhelmed, she seemed to be retreating into the depths of her own mind as she stared at the assortment of ingredients before her.</p><p>"Weiss, uh… What's all this doing here?" Yang asked.</p><p>"What do you mean? You told me to prepare the sauce," Weiss said. "That is what I am in the process of doing."</p><p>"You're… not wrong there," Yang said. "Weiss, why did you empty the whole ingredients cupboard?"</p><p>"So what if I did? That's just common practice!" Weiss said. "…Right?"</p><p>"Nope. There's only a couple things we need here, the rest can go away." Yang chuckled. "Honestly, Weiss. Overthink much?"</p><p>Weiss scowled at her. "Well, forgive me if some of us had different upbringings than most!"</p><p>"So, what you're implying here is that you're disadvantaged because you've never had to cook for yourself in your life?" Yang sighed theatrically. "Gosh, poor you. What next, you're going to need to comb your own hair? Choose your own clothes?"</p><p>Weiss opened her mouth, only to close it a moment later. She looked at the counter again, her shoulders falling despondently, and Yang couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Weiss certainly needed some sense shaken into her from time to time, but maybe that had been a bit much.</p><p>"Look, Weiss, it's perfectly fine to be intimidated by these things. We've all got to start somewhere," Yang said, patting her shoulder. "But think of it like this. You used to be a big-shot executive or scientist or… whatever you were. Compared to that, cooking should be easy-peasy."</p><p>"I beg to differ," Weiss muttered.</p><p>"We can start with a tomato," Yang said, pushing the bulk of the ingredients aside and singling out a tomato. "This is the most important part of the sauce. But what do you think we do with it?"</p><p>"We… slice it?" Weiss said.</p><p>"Exactly. And how do we do that?" Yang asked.</p><p>Weiss perked up. "With a knife!"</p><p>"Yes! See, you're well on your way to becoming a culinary master!" Yang said. "Well… get started!"</p><p>Weiss nodded. She opened a drawer and fished out a big knife, then eagerly set her eyes on the tomato. She looked at it for a moment, then at the knife, before finally turning to Yang.</p><p>"I don't understand. How do I do this?"</p><p>Yang held back a sigh. This might take a while.</p>
<hr/><p>For all the tribulations they had gone through in the kitchen, Yang and her pupils turned out some pretty good enchiladas – maybe the best she'd ever made. Even Blake, who didn't care much for food, eagerly expressed her appreciation.</p><p>Yang leaned back on her chair, smiling as she watched the team dig in and chat amongst themselves. She was damn proud of herself, but more than anything, she was glad they could all have a night like this. Special. She wouldn't trade this feeling for anything in the world.</p><p>"Hey, Yang." Ruby leaned over beside her, whispering conspiratorially. "Come close." Her eyes darted about shiftily. "I have something important to discuss with you."</p><p>Oh, this had to be good. Yang turned to give Ruby her ear.</p><p>"So, we're having a strategy meeting tomorrow morning. Usual business," Ruby said. "<em>But</em>… There's gonna be a buncha Breaches all over Vale starting the day after tomorrow, and I know <em>I'm</em> gonna take that on myself. Executive decision." She raised a finger. "I can do those because I'm team leader!"</p><p>"Already? Ruby, you and Weiss were out Hunting for a week. You came back just this morning," Yang said, frowning. "You know you're allowed to take breaks, right?"</p><p>"I know I'm allowed! And I take breaks all the time. It's just, it's not my fault killing Grimm is so much fun." Ruby shrugged. "<em>And </em>it's especially fun when you have the best sister in the world as your partner."</p><p>"Ah, I see where this is going." Yang grinned. "You want me to come with you."</p><p>Ruby put her hands together and bowed her head. "Pretty please!"</p><p>"You don't have to <em>pretty please </em>me, Ruby," Yang said. "Sure, I'll partner up with you. It'll be fun! But I warn you, I've been sparring with Pyrrha and Blake. I'm gonna wipe the floor with you out there!"</p><p>Ruby scoffed. "Yeah, right. You wish" She looked around the table, seemingly not recognizing that literally everyone else had overheard their conversation, before she turned to Yang again. "Okay, tomorrow, act like we never talked. I don't wanna look like I'm playing favorites."</p><p>"Aw, am I really your favorite?" Yang said.</p><p>"You feed me, so you kinda have to be," Ruby said. "By the way, about the kitchen accident. I <em>really </em>doubt it'll happen again. You could totally try teaching me and-"</p><p>"Hahahaha." Yang put her hand down on the table. "No."</p><p>"…Yeah, that's probably for the best."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang groaned, walking away from Ruby and Jaune to join the others on the couch.</p><p>"Have those two decided what movie we're watching yet?" Blake asked as Yang sat down beside her.</p><p>"Nope." Yang rubbed her temples. "I thought they were getting somewhere, but then Jaune brought extended cuts. Maybe I should have taken Weiss' cue and retired for the night."</p><p>"Cut them some slack, Yang," Pyrrha said. "Jaune and Ruby are just excited about this kind of stuff. That's perfectly normal."</p><p>"Well, maybe <em>you </em>should go help them make a decision, then," Yang said.</p><p>Pyrrha went silent for a moment. "I'm quite comfortable waiting here, I think."</p><p>"'Course you are."</p><p>Yang turned her attention to the TV.</p><p>"What are we watching?" she asked.</p><p>"The news," Blake said, leaning her head on her hand. "There's been some kind of massacre in Haven. A whole gang of – <em>supposed </em>– criminals got killed, and it looks like it was by just one person."</p><p>"Jeez. Sounds gruesome," Yang said. "Was it like a normal person that did it? I mean, as normal as a murdering psychopath can be."</p><p>"We don't know," Blake said. "Maybe they're like us. But honestly, you don't have to be to commit that level of violence."</p><p>"It seems likely to me. But I guess Beacon would know about them already if that were the case," Pyrrha said. "Look. That's the killer."</p><p>The news report cut to the footage of a hallway captured by a security camera. The image was grainy, but a woman could be seen walking past at an unrelenting pace, holding low a blade that dripped with what could only be blood. Her face was visible for but a handful of seconds before she disappeared in a flash of red, but those precious few seconds engraved themselves in Yang's mind.</p><p>Yang stared at the TV as the news came back to the studio with Lisa Lavender. Suddenly she regretted having cooked such a nice dinner. It would be a shame for that to end up on the floor.</p><p>"Yang?" Pyrrha nudged her. "Are you feeling okay?"</p><p>"Y-yeah," Yang muttered. She shook her head and took a deep breath, but that didn't make her feel any better. "Sorry. I guess the – the blood got to me somehow? Weird how that can still happen."</p><p>"We can change the channel if you want," Pyrrha said. She grabbed the remote, but the studio had already moved on from the report, and quite abruptly.</p><p>"<em>Ah. And I'm getting word now… Breaking news - the market price of Vacuan bananas continues to rise drastically by the day,</em>" Lisa Lavender said, her tone of voice barely disguising her displeasure. "<em>Truly, how will the world survive? And, in brighter news…</em>" She shuffled her papers. "<em>A surfing dog becomes an unlikely celebrity in coastal Vale. More at nine.</em>"</p><p>"Well, <em>someone </em>wasn't happy about that getting out," Blake said. She looked at Pyrrha. "Beacon?"</p><p>Pyrrha shrugged. "Maybe. Controlling public information has always been an important part of their work, as we all know."</p><p>Yang stood up. "You know what, I think I'm gonna skip movie night. I'm feeling pretty tired."</p><p>She walked away, ignoring Ruby's yells of protest. Yang entered her room and, as soon as she'd closed the door, opened her closet and dropped to her knees. She pushed aside shoes and clothes she hadn't worn in ages, until she finally found a box at the very back of the closet. She grabbed it and turned it over, spilling its contents on the floor.</p><p>A pile of eclectic objects lay before her, mementos from her time growing up in Patch. Her first ever report card. The toy bunny she'd gone to sleep hugging for way too long. The yo-yo she'd broken on Uncle Qrow's face – his fault. And hidden amidst all that, the photograph her father had given her the day she'd moved out.</p><p>Yang grabbed it out of the pile and turned it over with trembling fingers. She stared at the woman in the picture, and the woman stared back at her with her blood-red eyes. The vast blue of the sky stretched out behind her as she turned halfway around. Her lips were set in a rigid smile, as if she were going against her own wishes to humor the person behind the camera.</p><p>Yang set the picture down on the floor and sat at the edge of her bed. It really was her. There was no mistaking it. The woman on the news – the woman who had killed all those people in cold blood – was her mother.</p><p>She could almost laugh. <em>Of course</em>. Ever since her father had told her when she was a little kid, Yang had wondered what her real mother was like and why she'd left. Maybe she'd had something important she'd had to do. Or maybe, like Ruby's mom, she'd died fighting to make the world a better place. <em>Or maybe</em> – the version she'd long decided was the most likely – she was just a terrible person with no concern for her child.</p><p>It only made sense that the truth would be that, and so much worse. But <em>why</em>? Why was she like that? Why was she killing people? Why had she <em>left</em>?</p><p>Yang fell back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It didn't matter. <em>Summer</em> was her real mom, had always been. Ruby was her sister. The team was her family.</p><p>It didn't matter.</p>
<hr/><p>Yang's alarm buzzed. She stayed under the blankets, arms wrapped around herself, bleary eyes staring into nothing.</p><p>She let the alarm go on for an eternity.</p><p>Finally, she shut it off, stood up, grabbed a backpack, and started packing.</p>
<hr/><p>"Yang?" Ruby knocked on the door. "You awake? We're about to start the strategy meeting which you know nothing about! Also, you missed breakfast."</p><p>She waited a while, to no response. Ruby sighed. This didn't happen often, but Yang did sometimes work herself too hard and ended up oversleeping. It was Ruby's duty then, as a younger sister, to pester and tease her about it.</p><p>"Alright, coming in. You better not be naked!" Ruby opened the door and walked right in… to an empty room. "Huh."</p><p>She looked around. Something felt off – Yang's room somehow felt too clean and too messy at the same time. Walking over to the bed, Ruby found a note lying on the pillow.</p><p>
  <em>SORRY, HAD TO GO</em>
</p><p>
  <em>WILL BE GONE A WHILE</em>
</p><p>
  <em>DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, DON'T TRY AND FOLLOW</em>
</p><p>
  <em>WILL CHECK IN</em>
</p><p>
  <em>IT'S ABOUT MY MOM</em>
</p><p>Ruby frowned. But Mom was-</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>She stared at the note, not knowing what to do. She wanted desperately to help – Yang had helped her so much and so many times in the past, and without ever hesitating – but this was clearly personal. It stung a little that Yang hadn't come to her before leaving, or even asked for her to come along, but…</p><p>If this was would make Yang happy, then Ruby would respect her wishes. And if Yang asked for help, she would be there in a heartbeat.</p><p>Ruby started to put down the note, but stopped when she noticed a small arrow pointing to the edge of the paper. She turned it over to find another message.</p><p><em>P.S: </em> <span class="u"><em> DON'T </em></span> <em> GO HUNTING ALONE</em></p><p>
  <em>FIND LESS FLAKY PARTNER</em>
</p><p>
  <em>SUCKS BUT WILL HAVE TO DO</em>
</p><p>Ruby grinned. "Sure, Sis."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang walked out of the airport, her backpack hoisted over her shoulder, and stared out at the bustling city of Haven. The insanity of what she was doing was slowly catching up to her, but it gave her no motivation to turn back. She knew this was crazy – how much time had she already spent chasing after her mother, never to find her?</p><p>But not this time. This time she had a place to start looking, and she had a name.</p><p>
  <em>Raven. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Raven Branwen.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Many thanks to Fell for betaing the story, and to the writan folks of the Qrow's Nest for helping me VASTLY improve the kitchen scene this chapter. Seriously, the only difference between me and Ruby in that regard is that I have YET to cause a house fire.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bad Luck Travels Far</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang had passed through Haven once or twice before, but it wasn't until she was forced to walk its streets that she realized what an unusual place it was. The city was built on the face of a great mountain, with uneven districts connected vertically by roads and stairways. Navigating the city on foot meant constantly going up and down the mountain's height, which Yang could barely wrap her head around, even with a map and a clear destination.</p><p>She had taken the opportunity during the flight to do some research on the massacre – <em>after </em>getting some proper sleep. Yang was now sure that Blake's theory of Beacon stopping the news from getting out was right. There had been reports online, but those had all vanished without a trace. For such a horrible story, it might as well have never happened.</p><p>Luckily, whatever was going on hadn't gone completely unnoticed. After much digging, Yang discovered a conversation in a less than savory forum. The people involved weren't the kind Yang would normally trust – full-blown conspiracy loonies, really – but she didn't have the luxury of picking sources. The page had been taken down minutes later, but not before Yang had saved an address.</p><p>She knew where to go. She only wished she knew <em>how </em>to get there, preferably without dying from staircase overdosing. Honestly, what ancient dumbass came up with the bright idea of building a city on a mountain? That was just asking for half of it to be destroyed by a landslide.</p><p>Yang did eventually find her destination. Visually, the district looked similar to the others before it, but she could tell she'd walked into a dangerous part of the city. She saw barely any people walking the streets, and the ones she did see never met her eyes as they shuffled past, a nervous energy on their steps. There were no cars on the road – no vehicles of any kind. It all added up to an unsettling silence that hung in the air, so much that if Yang weren't so confident in herself – and her powers – she would have turned right around and gone back home.</p><p>The building was the tallest in its street, standing four stories tall, crammed between two smaller ones. Yang walked right up to it, shuddering as she looked it up and down. Maybe it was the prior knowledge of what had happened inside it, but she felt sick just being near the place.</p><p>She stared at the front door, blocked by yellow tape, calculating how far she was willing to go to get to the truth. Breaking the law? That only lasted a few seconds, before she shrugged and started ripping up the tape.</p><p>"I'd think twice before going inside that place, little missy," someone said behind her, and Yang turned around to find a man leaning on a lamppost, his arms crossed over his chest. "Nothing good waiting for you in there, I guarantee you."</p><p>Yang looked the man up and down. He looked about her father's age, and he talked smoothly enough, but she immediately got a bad vibe off of him. She highly doubted he just happened to be hanging near the place to kindly warn off strangers about it.</p><p>"Thanks for the concern, mister," she said, putting a hand on her hip. "But how would you know what's good for me?"</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't presume to know," the man said, smiling. "But I got a daughter your age, and I wouldn't want her to go in there either."</p><p>"That's very sweet of you. Maybe you should give your daughter a little more credit, though," Yang said. She started to turn back to the door, but stopped as the man pushed off the sign and walked towards her. "I think that's close enough, <em>mister</em>."</p><p>"Last warning, kid," he said, all friendliness vanished from his voice. "You're gonna walk away now."</p><p>"Oh? So you must be a cop or something, ordering me around like that?" Yang said.</p><p>The man walked right up to her, his nose almost touching hers, and cracked his knuckles. "Piss me off, and you'll <em>wish</em> I was a cop."</p><p>Yang smiled. "No, I think you've got that backwards," she said. "'Cause you see, if you <em>were </em>a cop, I'd hesitate before splitting your nose in two."</p><p>The man snarled and made a motion to grab her, but Yang stepped forward, forcing him to move back. She put a hand on his chest and shoved. She put hardly any strength in it, but he went stumbling for a good while, barely keeping himself from tripping over the curb and falling on the road before he recovered.</p><p>"Yeah," Yang said. "I don't think I'm the one who's gonna walk away."</p><p>He stared at her, his arms going limp, before he shook his head angrily and walked away. She watched him stop next to an alleyway and look back at her, before he entered it and disappeared. Yang rolled her eyes and went back to the door.</p><p>"So much for Mistralian hospitality…"</p><hr/><p>Yang didn't know what she'd expected to find inside. The building didn't seem any less unremarkable than it appeared outside. She got the impression it had been an office space of sorts, or at least a poor imitation of one. A gang had been using it, maybe they'd wanted to feel more legitimate.</p><p>That hadn't worked out very well for them.</p><p>Yang walked about the first floor, peeking into rooms and behind the counter at the entrance. The bodies had been taken away by the local police or Beacon, but the marks they'd left on the building remained. Yang had braced herself for anything, but she still felt queasy at the splotches of red on the floor and walls. That, and the smell… <em>The smell of murder!</em></p><p>"Okay, horror movie Yang," she whispered. "Let's take it down a notch."</p><p>She went up to the second floor and took a look around, but there was little of interest there either. Moving on to the third floor, it was more of the same. Yang was starting to feel just the tiniest bit stupid. Investigating a crime scene was outside her area of expertise, and seeing as she wasn't a detective in some TV show, she wasn't going to all of a sudden recreate the massacre in her mind and start drawing chalk lines to get to some obscure clue.</p><p>Disappointed, Yang went up to the fourth and last floor. The sight that awaited her at the end of the stairs struck her out of her lull. Unlike the other floors, this one comprised just one hallway, and a short one at that. Whoever scrubbed the place hadn't done as thorough a job here, or maybe they hadn't been <em>able</em> to do enough. There was so much red on the walls, she could barely tell what color they had been before.</p><p>"Holy-" Yang turned away, her eyes welling with tears from the smell alone. She took a moment to breathe, then covered her nose and forced herself to move forward.</p><p>
  <em>How can a person have done this?</em>
</p><p>The rooms along the hallway had nothing to be seen – nothing outside the established pattern, that was. But the very last one made Yang think. The door was hanging precariously from its hinges, and across from it lay a ruined bookshelf, almost like it had been launched across the room.</p><p>Yang stepped inside. To her surprise, she saw no blood anywhere. Someone had definitely holed up inside, though. Maybe they'd been dragged outside before they were killed? That was the only explanation that made sense to Yang, but thinking about it made her feel sick, so she chose to leave it at that.</p><p>There was a desk in the room, undisturbed except for the fact that all its drawers had been opened and emptied. Yang crouched to examine it. She hadn't seen anything like this in the rest of the building. Had something been stolen from this room? Had her mother killed all of twenty people to <em>steal </em>something?</p><p>Yang stood up and laid her hands on the desk, so agitated, the smell didn't even register anymore. That couldn't be the reason this had happened. It just couldn't be. There was something more at play here, something she didn't understand yet.</p><p>Speaking of things she didn't understand… What was that feeling in the back of her neck? It wasn't like an itch or anything she'd felt before in her life. In fact, she wasn't sure it was just her neck. Or just any part of herself. The feeling seemed to go past her body, to the whole room around her.</p><p>Yang waved her hand in front of her. Was there something in the air here? Something she couldn't see? She felt like an idiot, but-</p><p>"-still here. Check every room."</p><p>Yang pressed against the wall, kicking herself mentally. There were other people in the building with her, which could only mean one thing. She had taken too long looking around uselessly, and in that time the jerk from outside had gone and come back with friends. Now she was in trouble.</p><p>But was she really? Listening closely, Yang couldn't tell how many people there were, but even if there twenty goons searching for her downstairs, did they pose any real danger to her? She had no reason to hide from them. If anything, this was just what she'd been looking for.</p><p>Yang walked out of the room and made for the stairs at the other end of the hallway, making no effort to be quiet. When she got to the third floor, she found a man hunched over as he peeked into the rooms, his back turned to her.</p><p>"Hey, you looking for something?" Yang said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "Lost and found is that way."</p><p>The man whirled around with wide eyes. "Vernal! She's up here!" He raised his hands, leveling a double-barreled shotgun at her. "Don't you fucking move."</p><p>"Woah, there!" Yang said. "All that firepower for little ol' me? That's no way to treat a lady. Especially when you haven't even given her your name yet."</p><p>He pumped his gun, which Yang guessed was meant to be intimidating, but she was pretty sure served no real purpose. She heard someone yelling below, followed by stomping on the stairs behind her.</p><p>"Okay, look. I can tell you're not a very chivalrous fellow, and I really don't appreciate having a gun pointed at my face, so let's just get straight to the point," Yang said. "I'm Yang – let's fight!"</p><p>She took a step forward, and he blasted her at near point-blank range, stumbling back from the recoil. Yang staggered for merely a second, before she reached him and yanked the shotgun from his hands. She tossed it aside, then stared the man in the eyes, watching as fear set in.</p><p>Yang grinned. "Warned ya."</p><p>She kicked him in the chest, launching him across the floor, until he hit a wall and fell in a heap of limbs.</p><p>"Okay, maybe I didn't actually warn you," Yang said. "But I feel like it was implied, what with my reckless confidence and all."</p><p>Yang turned around and saw two people come up the stairs. The first was the man she'd met outside, carrying a pistol. The other was a woman, Yang guessed in her mid-twenties, with brown hair in a shaved cut. She wore shorts and a top with ripped sleeves, revealing a tattoo of a soaring bird on her left bicep. Two crescent-shaped blades hung from either side of her belt, with a ring-like handle in the middle from which to be gripped.</p><p>"You!" the woman stepped forward, stopping a few meters from Yang. Her companion waited behind her, glaring. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"</p><p>"I'm just standing here, minding my business," Yang said, blinking obliviously. "Oh, you're talking about your guy over there?" She gestured at Shotgun-Guy, currently bemoaning his existence on the floor. "Yeah, sorry about that. Although the way I see it, he was being rude, so he kinda had it coming."</p><p>"Don't play with me," the woman said. "Tell me what you're doing here now, or I'll cut your head from your neck."</p><p>"That's… hardcore." Yang whistled. "Before you try, though, you should know – that's not gonna work out the way you think."</p><p>She put on a serious expression.</p><p>"I'll tell you why I'm here," Yang said. "Vernal, I'm assuming?"</p><p>The woman gave her no response except to take out her blades and glare at her.</p><p>"Okay, <em>Vernal</em>. I'm trying to figure out what exactly happened here, and why," Yang said. "Now, I'm no detective - I got no answers from staring at dried blood - but you and your goons showing up to stop me tells me one of two things. Either you were with the lowlifes that used to hole up here… or you're with the woman who slaughtered them. So which is it?"</p><p>"The tough guy act isn't cute, girl. It'll be even less cute once I'm through with you," Vernal said. "I'll give you one last chance, since you clearly don't understand who you're messing with. Leave now, and never think about what you saw here again."</p><p>"Right. I think I've got my answer," Yang said. "You mind telling me about Raven Branwen?"</p><p>Yang saw Vernal stiffen, and thought she might just attack her in that moment.</p><p>"How the hell do you know that name?" Vernal said.</p><p>"Seriously? I'm Yang Xiao Long, haven't you heard of me?" Yang said. "I'm-"</p><p>"Forget this." Vernal waved her off. "Just blow her brains out."</p><p>Her companion pointed his gun and shot. Yang's head snapped back, the bullet bouncing off her forehead and landing somewhere behind her. She slowly craned her head forward again, moving her jaw to try and stop the ringing in her ears, and set her eyes on Vernal.</p><p>"Okay, then."</p><p>She stomped towards Vernal, but Outside-Guy put himself between them and unloaded on her. The bullets didn't bother Yang one bit, and she grabbed him by the wrist, twisting it and making him drop the pistol. She shoved him aside, and continued walking.</p><p>Vernal didn't wait for Yang to reach her, charging headfirst with her twin blades. She swung them at once in opposite directions, aiming for the neck right away, but Yang ducked under and punched Vernal's exposed belly. Her fist didn't meet with soft flesh, however, and though Vernal reeled back, she didn't collapse like Yang had expected.</p><p>Yang stood, shaking her hand. "Aura, huh?" she said. "Good. I don't have to hold back, then."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>Vernal threw her left blade, but Yang ducked again and dashed at her foe. Before she got to Vernal, though, she felt something hit her back. Whatever it was, it was sharp and would have sliced right through her if it weren't for her Aura. As it were, it just kept pushing against her, and the pain was almost as bad as the real thing.</p><p>"Motherf-" Yang rolled on the ground, and Vernal's blade came swooshing above her, returning to its owner's hand. "Boomerang blades?! Or is that your Semblance?"</p><p>Vernal spun her blades once, then aimed the right one at Yang. Though they were inside, Yang suddenly found herself being buffeted by a wind so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet. She covered her face with an arm as she was pushed back, hopelessly confused.</p><p>Daring to raise her head, Yang saw Vernal point her other blade. From seemingly nowhere, fire started to gather around it, until a ball the size of Yang's head floated before it. Vernal thrust her arm, and the fire launched towards Yang. She brought her other arm up to block, but the explosion struck her like twenty shotgun blasts, and she fell on her back, breathless.</p><p>The wind stopped, and Yang pushed herself into a sitting position. Vernal walked towards her, blades aimed at her throat.</p><p>"Had enough?" Vernal asked.</p><p>"No." Yang blew her hair off her eyes and clenched her fists. "You just made me angry."</p><hr/><p>Qrow landed on the sidewalk. He looked up at the building as he rolled his shoulders, trying and failing to will the soreness out of them. He had a feeling that things were going to get bad, but then again, he'd felt that way for most of his life. Today was particularly bad, but he chalked that up to… well, the obvious.</p><p>Maybe it was just the old pessimism. He'd almost convinced himself of that when he heard what could only be an explosion inside the place.</p><p>Qrow rubbed his eyes. "Hell."</p><hr/><p>Yang swung at Vernal, an explosive force behind her punch that would have shattered a regular person's bones, and put a severe dent on an Aura. It was smart of Vernal to dodge that attack, then, and every other that came after it, always moving backwards and sideways to stay out range of Yang's fists. When the situation got too hairy for her, Vernal used her weapons and pushed Yang away with a gust of wind, putting more distance between them.</p><p>It was getting tiring, but Yang didn't let herself be discouraged. She'd done kickboxing from her thirteenth birthday to the day she graduated high school, and though she could have easily defeated all her opponents by brute force alone, she'd always held back, for the spirit of competition. That meant she knew how to fight when things weren't so uneven - and most importantly, she knew when to put in the real hurt.</p><p>Her opportunity arrived when she closed in on Vernal again, driving her ever nearer to the wall behind her. Vernal realized she would soon have no room to dodge a moment after Yang did, and raised her wind blade to make room again. Yang didn't falter, aiming a punch at her foe's face, and Vernal lifted the blade higher to block – but as the wind hit her, Yang dropped the punch and spun in place, bringing her leg around in a roundhouse kick.</p><p>Vernal shouted in surprise and pain as her blade went flying from her grip. It landed far from their reach, the wind taking a few seconds to stop. Vernal shook her wrist for a moment, before she raised her remaining blade and shot a fireball at Yang.</p><p>Without so much as blinking, Yang dashed through the smoke and embers and kicked Vernal in the chest, launching her against the wall. As Vernal came bouncing back, Yang drove a knee into her stomach, then planted an open hand on her sternum and shoved her to the floor.</p><p>The whole building seemed to shake from the impact, and for a moment Yang feared – for purely practical reasons – that she might have gone overboard and knocked Vernal out. But despite being caught between coughing violently and trying to keep the air in her lungs, Vernal was still very much conscious.</p><p>"So…" Yang crouched beside Vernal. "<em>Had enough</em>?"</p><p>Vernal glared at her and tried to stand, but Yang pushed her back down and kept her pinned with a hand to her chest.</p><p>"If you think that was me being rough, you've got no idea," Yang said. She stared at Vernal, leaning closer. "Now, tell me <em>everything</em> you know about Raven Branwen."</p><p>Vernal moved her right arm, and Yang braced herself to be punched in the face, but instead Vernal laid her hand over hers and squeezed lightly. Yang squinted at her fingers.</p><p>"What are you-"</p><p>Her breath failed her as the world suddenly became a blur around her. The sensation reminded Yang of being tossed around by a Grimm, or that one time she'd gone flying off the playgrounds swings when she was a kid – except a hundred times worse. She would have thrown up on the spot – she felt she ought to – except for some reason it appeared she was physically unable of doing that.</p><p>The world stabilized around her, and Yang realized she was on the floor, and Vernal was leaning over her. She was pinned down, stopped from moving by a hand on her chest – a hand <em>she </em>was squeezing.</p><p>Yang looked up at Vernal. "What the hell just-"</p><p>And <em>then </em>came the punches. Vernal struck her right on the nose, once, twice, three times, before she stood up and walked away. Yang sat up, her head swaying, and watched as Vernal grabbed her two blades and turned to face her again.</p><p>"Did you just…" Yang blinked and rubbed her face. "Did you just <em>switch places </em>with me? How many Semblances do you have?"</p><p>Vernal scoffed and raised her left hand. For the first time, Yang noticed a copper ring on her index finger, unremarkable except for the faint glow it gave off.</p><p>"You're as ignorant as you are pathetic," Vernal said. "I told you, you have no idea who you're messing with. And now you'll pay the price."</p><p>"Yeah? Well, <em>you </em>don't know who you're messing with either." Yang stood up and cracked her knuckles. "I don't care how many tricks you have up your lack of sleeves, I'll keep coming back stronger. The only way you can you're gonna take me down is if you kill me."</p><p>"Is that so?" Vernal said, running her blades against each other before she aimed them at Yang. "I'll just do that, then."</p><p>"No," Yang said. "You'll <em>try</em>."</p><p>She stepped towards Vernal – and her feet went straight through the floor, the wood breaking until she was buried in it up to her knee.</p><p>"Are you actually kidding me!" Yang shouted, trying to dislodge her leg from the hole. "Is this another trick of yours, 'cause this is getting old now!"</p><p>"Not me, kid." Vernal smirked. "That's just the universe sending you a signal to stop struggling."</p><p>"Yeah, well, I'll – I'll send a signal to your face, then!" Yang grunted. "…Just as soon as I'm free!"</p><p>Vernal walked towards her, spinning her blades, and Yang prepared to fight her off.</p><p>"That's enough!"</p><p>Yang didn't even have time to look around for the voice – she blinked, and her uncle Qrow was pulling Vernal away from her, a hand closed tight around her arm.</p><p>"Uncle Qrow!" Yang exclaimed. "You're here, for some reason!"</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," Qrow said offhandedly, and gestured at Vernal. "You don't move an inch – and put away your weapons. Try anything and you'll regret it."</p><p>"Yeah, that's right!" Yang pumped her fist. "He'll kick your ass!"</p><p>"You, <em>shush</em>," Qrow said, sending her a warning look. "Your <em>weapons</em>, Vernal."</p><p>Vernal stared at him for a moment, measuring him up, before she hung her blades on her belt.</p><p>"Wait, you two know each other?" Yang asked. "I mean, I guess that makes some sense, but-"</p><p>"What the hell are you doing here, Qrow?" Vernal said, ignoring her entirely.</p><p>"I'm with Beacon, what do you think?" Qrow said. "Your boss just killed twenty people in cold blood. I want answers."</p><p>"I'm not telling you anything, <em>traitor</em>," Vernal said.</p><p>"Vernal, I think you now, and Raven will agree, that talking now rather than later is in your best interest. Use your brains for once," Qrow said. "And you should be grateful I'm the one representing Beacon, and not someone else. This could be so much worse for all of you."</p><p>Vernal set her jaw, glaring at him in a dead silence.</p><p>"She's not going to talk like that, Uncle Qrow," Yang said. "I tried. You gotta, you know-" She mimed a punch "-beat it out of her."</p><p>"Yes, I can see how well that's worked out for you." Qrow shook his head. "Yang, be quiet. And get your leg outta that hole."</p><p>Yang scowled. "Hey, this is obviously your fault! I was doing fine before you showed up."</p><p>"Whining's not gonna fix your predicament, dumbass."</p><p>Well that was just rude. And accurate. Yang started pulling on her leg, trying to get it free.</p><p>"Who is this girl anyway? Why are you helping her?" Vernal asked. "And why does she keep calling you…"</p><p>She trailed off, conflicted. It was as if she knew the answer to her question, but it just didn't conflate with reality.</p><p>"I'll save you the brain power," Qrow said. "She's my niece, and Raven's daughter."</p><p>"What? That's impossible," Vernal said. "Raven doesn't have any kids."</p><p>Yang stopped fidgeting for a second. Well, that stung.</p><p>"I'd love to show you the DNA test results, but I'm afraid they fell out of my pocket on the way here," Qrow said dryly. "Vernal, I know you're not gonna tell me anything. You're too damn loyal to Raven. So how about you point me in her direction, and I can get answers from the woman herself?"</p><p>"You honestly expect me to give up the tribe's location?" Vernal said.</p><p>"Fine." Qrow sighed. "Then take me to her. That's the only alternative." He gestured before Vernal could speak again. "I <em>will </em>track down the tribe eventually. That's what I do. And before I find it, I can make life difficult for all of you. Would Raven want that, Vernal?"</p><p>Vernal stared at him, her hands hovering restlessly near her belt. She looked at her two companions, still dazed on the ground from the beating Yang had treated them, and shook her head.</p><p>"Meet me at the Kuchinashi south gates in two hours," she said. "I have some things I need to sort out before I go."</p><p>"Fair enough," Qrow said. "And Vernal, if you try and give me the slip-"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, <em>you'll find me</em>," Vernal grumbled. She clapped her hands. "You two! We're going."</p><p>She waited for her companions to join her and left – but not before fixing Yang with a lasting glare. Once their footsteps had faded away in the floors below, Qrow turned to Yang and walked over, his hands on his hips.</p><p>"You. You little…" he said. "I don't even know with you sometimes."</p><p>"What? I didn't do anything wrong," Yang said. "Maybe a little property damage. But who cares, this is a criminal hideout anyway! I was doing the city a favor."</p><p>"You're not getting away with this by joking around, Yang. Not this time," Qrow said. "You're going to get up, and then we're going to have a talk."</p><p>"Okay, fine, we will." Yang groaned. "Can you help me out here, at least? Pretty please?"</p><p>She looked up at him, doing her best Ruby impression, and in response she got the most withering look she'd ever seen on him. It was enough to strike her silent, and she felt like a child for all the wrong reasons.</p><p>"I'll be waiting for you outside."</p><hr/><p>Qrow scowled at her over a plate of fries, yet to be touched by either of them. Yang had received many such looks from her uncle over the years, the kind that said he wasn't angry with her, just disappointed, but this was something else altogether. She was pretty sure he was both disappointed <em>and </em>angry with her right now.</p><p>"So," he said, after what felt like an hour of silence. "You wanna tell me what you're doing in Haven?"</p><p>Yang opened her mouth and closed it. Qrow's scowl was difficult to shake off, she had to admit. He probably used it on criminals all the time in his line of work.</p><p>"Same thing you're doing, apparently," Yang said, crossing her arms.</p><p>Qrow raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"</p><p>"You know what I'm talking about. You said it yourself," Yang said. "Raven Branwen killed a bunch of people. I gotta find out why. And I gotta find her."</p><p>"Oh yeah, you <em>gotta</em>?" Qrow said. "I must have missed it when you got recruited by Beacon. And when the Director sent you to do my mission."</p><p>"Maybe you forgot," Yang spat. "Wouldn't be the first time you forgot something important."</p><p>She looked at his vest, under which she knew he had to be carrying a flask, probably half empty already, if not entirely so. For a split second, Qrow stiffened, and Yang puffed her chest at that small victory, before he leaned on the table and looked her in the eye.</p><p>"Let me get this through your thick skull. Yang, you shouldn'tbe here," Qrow said. "You should be home, with your team of super-friends, running after Grimm, rescuing people, whatever crap it is you kids do."</p><p>"The team will be fine with me being away for a couple days. Ruby's got it all handled," Yang said.</p><p>"That's not the point. You should be with her right now," Qrow said. "You've got no reason to be here."</p><p>"Yes, I do," Yang hissed. "She's my <em>mother</em>."</p><p>"So what? That means you're just gonna drop everything and run off to another country, to chase after someone you don't even know? <em>Again</em>?" Qrow said. "I thought you'd gotten over this the last time, Yang."</p><p>"<em>Gotten over it</em>?"</p><p>Yang banged her hand on the table, closing it with a strength to crush metal. Qrow flinched and leaned away, and Yang somehow knew her eyes had turned red on him, but she didn't care.</p><p>"I didn't <em>get over </em>anything," Yang said. "I had no idea what I was looking for before, because <em>you </em>never told me anything about her, and neither did Dad."</p><p>"For good reason," Qrow said.</p><p>"Yes, I've heard that one over and over. And you know what, it's fine. I'm sure you thought you were doing what was best for me," Yang said. "You wanna know why I stopped looking last time? Because I got tired of being the asshole kid who ran away from her loving family. So there you go for getting over it."</p><p>As she finished speaking, Yang realized she was shaking. Had she even known she'd felt that way before now? It made all the sense in the world, but maybe it had taken saying the words out loud for those feelings to sink in.</p><p>"I'm sorry, kiddo," Qrow said quietly, eyes on his hands. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I'm sure Tai didn't either."</p><p>"I know," Yang said. "But you did anyway."</p><p>It somehow felt both empowering and excruciating to say those words. She didn't enjoy seeing her uncle like that, not even able to meet her gaze. But she had to be honest with herself and him.</p><p>"I understand why you feel you need answers. I don't blame you. Hell, if I were you, I'd probably go looking for them too," Qrow said. "But some things are better off left alone, Yang. I know you must be tired of hearing it, but there <em>is </em>a reason we never told you about Raven beyond her existing."</p><p>"Maybe. To be honest, all the blood didn't make a good impression," Yang said. "But I'm done being protected, Qrow. Seriously. I'm meeting her whether you like it or not."</p><p>Qrow sighed. "Okay."</p><p>"Okay?" Yang frowned. "You're not gonna try and convince me not to?"</p><p>"Nope. In fact, I'm going to help you."</p><p>Yang blinked. That couldn't be right. Maybe she'd hit her head during the fight.</p><p>"There's no use trying to stop you, so the best I can do is make sure you don't get into too much trouble," Qrow said. "Also, and I mean every offense with this, you wouldn't know how to track someone down if they had a neon-sign over their head."</p><p>"Hey! I could totally find her without your help!" Yang said.</p><p>"Mhmm. And what was your plan, wander around town, punch random mooks 'til one of them pointed you the right way? Or do you have some underground contact I'm not aware of?" Qrow asked.</p><p>Yang grumbled in her seat. She had to admit he made a good point.</p><p>"We'll meet Vernal in an hour. Hopefully she'll stick to her word and not disappear on us. I could find her easy enough, but it'd be annoying," Qrow said. "But first, we should actually eat what we ordered."</p><p>He grabbed a fry and tossed in his mouth, then reached under his vest and – yup – took out a flask.</p><p>"…Thanks, Uncle," Yang said.</p><p>"Trust me." Qrow uncorked his flask and leaned back. "You don't wanna thank me."</p><hr/><p>Qrow made navigating the city much easier. He knew it like the back of his hand, taking them through shortcut after shortcut on their way down. In twenty minutes, they reached the Kuchinashi district, which sprawled all around the base of the mountain. It was the only way to get in or out of the city from the ground, and through no coincidence, it was also Haven's biggest district.</p><p>They walked to the south gates, which gave way to a rough dirt road. Yang got the impression not many people used this road, and she didn't blame them – she wouldn't take Bumblebee out here if her life depended on it.</p><p>She looked around, expecting Vernal to be waiting for them there, but there was no sign of her. "Oh, wow. The criminal didn't show," Yang said. "Who could have seen this coming?"</p><p>"Stop moaning," Qrow said, and kept walking. Yang shook her head and followed him.</p><p>The gates grew farther and farther away, and the ground beneath their feet only got rougher. Yang was about to say something, when finally she spotted Vernal further along the road, sitting beside it on the hood of a pick-up truck.</p><p>"Oh, wow. There's the criminal, right where she said she'd be," Qrow said, imitating Yang's voice. "Maybe I should try exercising some patience every once in a while, but that'd be boring!"</p><p>"You know what? I deserve that one," Yang said. "You need to work on that impression, though."</p><p>Vernal jumped off the hood, leering at Yang as they approached.</p><p>"What's <em>she </em>doing here?" she asked.</p><p>"She's coming with," Qrow said, in a voice that gave no room for argument. "Where are your pals?"</p><p>"At a safe location," Vernal said, leering even harsher, which was just impressive, "nursing their wounds."</p><p>Yang shrugged. "Nothing that a little kiss won't fix."</p><p>"How far is the camp?" Qrow asked suddenly, taking a step to stand between them.</p><p>"Far," Vernal said, and entered the car, taking her place behind the driver's wheel. "We'll be there by nightfall."</p><p>Qrow nodded and made to sit beside her, but Vernal closed the door on him before he could get inside. He raised his hands in exasperation, but Vernal simply gestured at the back of the truck and turned on the engine.</p><p>"Rude," Yang said.</p><p>"Very," Qrow said. "Let's just make ourselves comfortable then."</p><p>"I don't think that's gonna happen, but sure."</p><p>They climbed onto the back, which was bereft of anything to hold on to or lay on. Yang had barely sat down when Vernal turned the truck and pulled into the road, going at the speed limit right out of the gate.</p><p>"Yeesh!" Yang exclaimed, grabbing onto the edge. "Is she always like this?"</p><p>"Like a dog that got kicked one too many times?" Qrow said. "Yeah. But I think she's taken a shine to you."</p><p>Yang threw her hands up. "Wow, I wonder why!"</p><p>"I think this is what some people call karma."</p><p>"She attacked me first! Kinda."</p><p>Qrow shrugged and took out his flask. Just as he brought it to his lips, they hit a bump on the road, and the flask slipped from his fingers and went soaring away, but not before he got a great splash of whiskey on his face.</p><p>"Well," Qrow said, wiping his eyes with his shirt. "This trip officially sucks."</p><p>Luckily for them, Vernal seemed to find a shred of mercy in her soul a few minutes later, and slowed down to a more manageable speed. Yang slumped against the side of the truck, feeling drained all of a sudden. Her couple hours of sleep on the plane hadn't been enough, apparently. Getting into a fight hadn't done her any favors, either.</p><p>"Grab some rest, Firecracker," Qrow said. "I'll make sure you don't go flying off this death machine."</p><p>Yang nodded and lay down on her side. It took her a while, but eventually she fell asleep.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Her name's Raven."</em></p><p>
  <em>Yang looked from the picture to her father. "Raven… So, Raven Branwen? Since she's Qrow's sister?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her father nodded, and Yang sat down on the couch, putting the picture on her lap. She figured she ought to feel something when staring at the face of the mother she'd never known. It was supposed to be a dramatic moment. Cathartic, even.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Why show this to me now, after all this time?" she asked.</em></p><p>"<em>Because you deserve to know </em>something <em>about her. You always did," Taiyang said. "Honestly, I should have shown you way sooner."</em></p><p>"<em>Can you tell me about her, then?"</em></p><p>
  <em>He sat down across from her, his shoulders slumping, and what little hope Yang had fostered was promptly dashed.</em>
</p><p>"<em>It's complicated, sweetheart. The whole situation. And Raven," Taiyang said. "I haven't seen her since you were a baby. For all I know, she's not even the same person I used to know."</em></p><p>"<em>Okay. I get it," Yang said. "Did you love her, at least?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Taiyang thought for a while, before he looked at her and smiled sadly. "I did."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yang nodded, and offered the picture back.</em>
</p><p>"<em>No. Keep it," Taiyang said. "Take it with you to Vale. It's yours now."</em></p><p>"<em>Are you sure?" Yang asked. "I don't wanna take away the only thing you have to remember her by."</em></p><p>
  <em>Taiyang shook his head. "I'll always have you."</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Up, Firecracker."</p><p>Yang sat up and rubbed the drowsiness off her eyes. She looked around, realizing the truck was stopped in the middle of the road, with heavy tree lines on either side of it. It was dark, the only light coming from a distant fire Yang couldn't yet see. Qrow was standing outside the truck, his hands on his hips as he waited for her.</p><p>"Why are we stopped?" Yang asked.</p><p>"We're here," Qrow said.</p><p>Yang slipped to the ground beside him, and they walked around the truck to join Vernal. She threw them a disinterested look as she turned off the engine, then walked away and gestured for them to follow.</p><p>It didn't take long for Yang to see where they were going. A long wall sprung from the ground, built of thick tree logs strung together, their tops sharpened to a fine point to prevent someone from climbing over. There was a metal gate in its center, with a torch on either side, and a man standing guard before it.</p><p>The guard stood to attention when he saw them coming and began to turn, but Vernal raised a hand to pacify him. "It's me!" she said. "These two are fine. They're here to see Raven."</p><p>The man was quick to bow to her authority, opening the gates and stepping aside to free the way. As Vernal walked through, Qrow touched Yang's arm and stopped her.</p><p>"Last chance to turn back," he said.</p><p>Yang wanted to puff up her chest or make some joke about walking off into the woods, but she suddenly found her stomach in a knot. All she could think about was that, in a few minutes, she would finally be meeting her mother. She didn't know how that was going to go, and she didn't know what would happen after.</p><p>"I'll be fine," she said breathily. "I forgot to ask – does Raven usually… kill people?"</p><p>Qrow contemplated the question for a moment. "I'd say that's not her go-to move, no."</p><p>"I guess that's a little comforting," Yang said. "Let's go?"</p><p>Qrow patted her on the back, and they walked through the gates. At the other side Yang found a camp, with tents and racks spread across a wide, earthy terrain. People walked about, clad in rough leathers, and all with mean faces that only got meaner when they looked their way. <em>Tribe </em>indeed.</p><p>At the very center of the camp stood a huge bonfire, casting light across the area. A figure stood facing it, arms crossed, and that was where Vernal went. Yang watched the pair exchange words, time slowing with every step she took towards them.</p><p>Finally, Yang and Qrow stopped close by, and the figure turned to face them. Firelight reflected off pale skin and night hair, and red eyes met with Yang's violet with a calm precision.</p><p>Yang breathed in shakily. "Hi."</p><p>Raven tilted her head to the side. Her lips quirked in a half-smile, a tenuous warmth softening her features.</p><p>"Hi, Yang."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Step Into the Complicated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hi, Yang."</p><p>Raven held Yang's gaze for a moment longer, before her eyes wandered to Qrow. In an instant, all warmth fled from her face.</p><p>"Qrow."</p><p>"Sis," Qrow said. "Long time no see."</p><p>"Not long enough," Raven said. "I'd say this is a pleasant surprise, but to be quite honest, I feel it's neither."</p><p>"Well, if you knew I was coming, you could at least have prepared a welcome banquet," Qrow said. "You get much wild game around these parts? Any chance I can get my hands on some roasted boar?"</p><p>"You well know we're not savages, Qrow," Raven said. "Besides, you lost <em>that </em>privilege a long time ago."</p><p>"While I'd love to argue that point with you," Qrow said, "I think we've got more important things to be discussing. Don't you agree?"</p><p>Raven shuffled, looking like she'd be not at all distressed if he fell dead in front of her very eyes.</p><p>"I don't suppose you could be intimidated into walking away," she said.</p><p>"You know me better than that," Qrow said. "You used to, at least."</p><p>Raven sighed. "So be it. But let's take this inside."</p><p>She walked towards the biggest tent in the camp. Unlike the rest, which stood on natural soil, that one stood above a wooden base that protected it from the elements. It was a small luxury, but compared to the others, that went a long way.</p><p>As Yang followed, she became acutely aware of the stares the other people in the camp threw their way. They didn't seem to know what to make of her, but how they felt about Qrow couldn't be more obvious. Yang could only wonder what her uncle had done to evoke such disdain and anger.</p><p>They stepped inside the tent, and Yang was surprised by how cozy it looked. The interior could almost pass for a bedroom of a proper house, with all the appropriate furniture, and the temperature felt quite nice too.</p><p>Raven gestured to three pillows at the center of the tent, and sat down on one of them. Qrow splayed out on another, and after a moment of hesitation, Yang pulled the remaining the pillow next to his and sat down too.</p><p>Vernal entered shortly after them, a jug of water in her hands. She didn't say a word as she walked over to a cabinet and started shuffling through it. Watching her, Yang realized she was picking out tea packets, and <em>that</em>, out of everything she'd seen so far, mystified her the most.</p><p>"Jasmine for me, Vernal, thank you," Raven said. "What tea do you prefer, Yang?"</p><p>Yang blinked. "I… don't know? I'm not a tea person."</p><p>"She'll have the same as me," Raven said to Vernal, and turned her head to glare at her brother. "And I needn't remind you, Qrow, that I don't allow alcohol within my camp's limits."</p><p>"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Qrow grumbled. "I lost my drink on the way here."</p><p>"Poor you. Jasmine it shall be for us all, then."</p><p>Not another word was shared while they waited for Vernal to finish preparing the tea. Raven seemed quite comfortable with the silence, her gaze shifting from Yang to Qrow in an almost lazy manner, and aside from some grumbling and the perpetual scowl on his face, Qrow acted with similar ease. Yang, on the other hand, felt like her heart might fall out of her mouth at any second.</p><p>Finally, Vernal poured the tea into three cups and brought them over, bending down to hand over the drinks. Vernal paused as Yang accepted hers, her whole body going still as the space between them shrank. Vernal didn't make a sound, but Yang saw the challenge written in her eyes as clear as day. Any other day, Yang would have risen to the challenge, but today the words choked in her throat.</p><p>What was <em>happening</em> to her? Sure she was nervous, but she was Yang Xiao freaking Long. She wasn't supposed to get shaken up like this.</p><p>Vernal blew the air from her nose and pulled away. She handed over Raven's cup, and stepped back from the circle.</p><p>"Thank you, Vernal," Raven said. "Leave us. I'd like you to bring the truck inside the walls, and prepare it for the journey back." She took a sip of her tea, giving Vernal a significant look through the steam which rose from it. "We'll talk later."</p><p>"Yes, Raven," Vernal said. She bowed her head respectfully, threw Yang another scowl, and walked out of the tent.</p><p>Qrow leaned back and scoffed. "Still a mamma's girl, that one, eh?"</p><p>"She's loyal, and she's reliable," Raven said. "Which is more than I can say for certain individuals."</p><p>Yang stared at the two of them, her breath hitching as she picked up her teacup. <em>Mamma's girl</em>? Raven and Vernal shared hair colors, and from what little Yang had seen, they seemed quite close… But surely that was just a manner of speech. Just Qrow being Qrow.</p><p>"Can we talk about why you ripped apart two dozen people now?" Qrow asked.</p><p>"Please, <em>ripped apart</em> is a bit much. I was merciful. And we can talk about that once you've partaken of the tea I've so generously shared with you," Raven said. "You are my guests, after all. It's only polite."</p><p>Qrow rolled his eyes and grabbed his teacup, downing it all in one gulp. Grimacing, he all but slammed the cup down on the floor, then turned to Raven implacably. Raven narrowed her eyes at him.</p><p>Yang watched them nervously. She slowly brought her own teacup to her lips and took her first sip. It wasn't the kind of drink she preferred, and the flavor didn't please her all too much, but it was soothing in a way. The warmth coursed through her body, and though her hands still shook, she thought she might be able to form a complete phrase without her voice breaking like a fourteen-year-old's.</p><p>"It's a good question," Yang said. "Why <em>did </em>you kill all those people, Raven?"</p><p>Raven looked at her, the animosity she showed Qrow waning. "I suppose that's the reason you came to me. To confirm whether or not your mother is a bloodthirsty monster."</p><p>Yang flinched. It was no mystery, but this was the first time Raven acknowledge their relation, and she did it without missing a beat.</p><p>"That'd be nice to know, yeah," Yang said.</p><p>"And that is only fair," Raven said. "For the record, I'm not ashamed of what I did. Nor do I regret it."</p><p>Yang frowned. "You don't <em>regret it</em>? Sorry, did I walk into the wrong building back in town? Because I'm pretty sure that shade of red is not a popular wall color."</p><p>"I took no joy in killing those men. But it had to be done," Raven said. "They were compromised."</p><p>"Compromised," Qrow repeated dryly. "So you had to kill them. That's convenient."</p><p>"It was certainly convenient for you," Raven said. "I took the matter into my own hands. I'm sure your master would appreciate that."</p><p>Qrow bristled. "I don't think you realize the position you're in, Raven. You want to bring Ozpin in? We'll bring Ozpin in."</p><p>Raven smiled. "I'll have to get my sword first, if you don't mind."</p><p>Yang put down her teacup.</p><p>"I'm sorry, am I the only one that's completely lost track of what's going on here?" she said. "What's Ozpin got to do with anything? And what do you mean those people were <em>compromised</em>?"</p><p>"Yes, what <em>did </em>you mean by that, Raven?" Qrow said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Raven was silent for a moment, studying Yang coolly.</p><p>"Your uncle hasn't told you a thing about me, has he?" Raven said.</p><p>"Not really," Yang said. "But to be fair, the topic hardly ever came up, seeing as you were literally never around."</p><p>"What do you think I <em>do</em>, Yang?" Raven said, unfazed. "What do you think this place is?"</p><p>Yang pursed her lips. With the all-encompassing madness that was meeting Raven, she had hardly taken a moment to take in everything else that was transpiring around her. Minutes before, she'd walked into a camp full of nasty-looking people in the middle of some dark woods in the middle of… who knows where. And hours before <em>that</em>, she'd gotten into a brawl with a girl who had shot her with wind and fire, and pulled some kinda trick to switch places with her. Also, her biological mother was a mass murderer.</p><p>What the hell was happening?</p><p>"I… Uh…" Yang swallowed dry. "Well, this is like a… camp. Like a tribal camp. So you people must be very… spiritual? Like you dance around a fire and chant spooky songs, make offerings to the gods, that kinda stuff." She slowly raised a finger. "<em>Wait a minute</em>. You didn't murder those guys for a ritual, did you? Were you summoning a demon? A <em>Grimm</em>?"</p><p>That, at last, broke Raven's composure, as she turned to Qrow, shaking her head incredulously. "What is she going on about?"</p><p>"Yang's got an overactive imagination," Qrow said. "Although, to be fair, she's had experiences."</p><p>"Ruby got kidnapped once," Yang said. "They tried to ritual sacrifice her."</p><p>"Yeah, that happened, I was there." Qrow rubbed his forehead. "Thankfully, we tracked her down and rescued her before it was too late."</p><p>"Technically she escaped on her own first, but we were there to help after," Yang said. "Look, it was a whole thing. Can we move past that?"</p><p>Raven nodded listlessly. "I'll take your word for it."</p><p>Yang took a long sip of tea, though she made sure to leave a good amount for later. She had a feeling she might still need it if this conversation lasted much longer.</p><p>"Uncle Qrow and Vernal kept saying the word <em>tribe </em>earlier," Yang said. "But you people aren't, like, literally a tribe, are you?"</p><p>"Is the idea that outrageous to you? What is a tribe, if not a group of people who share a common culture, common goals, common blood," Raven said. "Going by that definition, you could say a tribe is no different than a family."</p><p>"And apparently you're a scholar too," Yang said, unimpressed.</p><p>"<em>This</em>," Raven said, gesturing around her, "is the Branwen tribe. My grandparents founded it. My parents inherited it from them. And then it was my turn to take the reins, and I've been comfortably steering them for twenty years now."</p><p>Twenty years. As long as Yang had been alive, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. No coincidence there.</p><p>"Okay, but what do you guys do for a living?" Yang said. "Somehow I doubt you've got your people growing turnips all year long. And I'm discarding the ritual sacrifice angle, for now."</p><p>"We used to steal, kidnap, ransom… Among other things," Raven said. "You'd be dismayed to learn how unsafe Mistralian roads have always been."</p><p>"Wait, are you saying you're <em>bandits</em>?" Yang said, ready to spring to her feet and fight.</p><p>"<em>Used </em>to be," Raven said. "I changed that when I took leadership."</p><p>"Don't go getting your hopes up, Firecracker," Qrow said. "Raven didn't make things much better. I'd argue she made them even worse."</p><p>"And we're all very interested in your opinion, Qrow," Raven said. "Would <em>you </em>like to fill her in?"</p><p>"No, I want you to see you try, actually." Qrow leaned back. "Should be fun."</p><p>Raven finished her tea in silence, and looked Yang in the eyes.</p><p>"What if I told you there's more to reality than just ourworld?"</p><p>Yang blinked. "You mean like, planets and stuff? Sorry to break it to you, but we figured that out centuries ago. With a telescope."</p><p>"Not planets. Worlds that exist <em>here</em>, but that the regular person can't see or step into," Raven said.</p><p>"Uh, we've <em>also </em>figured out parallel universes. Or at least we know they can be a thing," Yang said. "I didn't pay much attention in Physics class, but Ruby and Jaune are always going on about-"</p><p>"Yang, you fight Grimm, do you not?" Raven said. "Where do you think they come from?"</p><p>Yang frowned. "Another dimension. But that's just what Beacon's told us. That doesn't mean it's true."</p><p>"That's a wise attitude to take with those people, though I'm afraid they're right, for this particular subject. But obviously they haven't shared the finer details with you," Raven said. "There is another world that exists close to our own, separated by a veil we can't cross or see. That's where the Grimm come from. And there are other worlds besides that one. Worlds of eternal winter, worlds where the rivers run with fire instead of water. They're countless – and they're all entirely unlike our own."</p><p>Yang processed that for a moment. Her ears were in perfect condition, she was fairly sure of that, but what Raven said was just too unbelievable.</p><p>"Are you trying to tell me that there's a bunch of… magic worlds out there?" Yang said.</p><p>"I thought you'd get to that word on your own. <em>Magic</em>," Raven said. "Once upon a time, I might have argued the semantics with you. But yes. I'm pretty much telling you that magic is real."</p><p>"You're bullshitting me," Yang said. "Uncle Qrow?"</p><p>She turned to Qrow for help, but he took one look at her face and started laughing.</p><p>"Uncle Qrow! Stop it!" Yang punched him in the shoulder. "Don't tell me you believe this crap too."</p><p>"Believe it? Yang, I've<em> lived</em> it," Qrow said. "Your mother and I might not see eye to eye, but I'm not gonna say the sky's red just 'cause shesays it's blue."</p><p>"Ours can be a difficult reality to come to terms with, Yang," Raven said. "But it is reality. That much I can assure you."</p><p>Yang set her jaw. "And why in the hell would I believe anything you say?"</p><p>"For one, your uncle is corroborating my words. I would hope you have <em>some </em>faith in him," Raven said. "And surely you've come all this way for a reason. It'd be a shame for you to put all that time and energy to waste because you refuse to open your mind to the truth."</p><p>Yang fell silent. The whole idea of other worlds and magic was outlandish, but she had to admit that a lot of things in her life could be described that way. She had superpowers, as did all her friends, and their job description was beating up evil alien monsters to save the world. Nowadays she accepted that as normal.</p><p>"Okay. Say I believe you," Yang said. "Why are you telling me this?"</p><p>"I said that regular people can't enter those worlds. But there are exceptions, and I'm one of them," Raven said. "My Semblance allows me to pierce the veil between worlds to traverse between them." She paused. "Among other things."</p><p>"And…?"</p><p>"And, there's a lot to be gained from exploring those worlds. They are inherently magic, and so is everything found in them," Raven said. "The objects we find out there, we call them artifacts. They can do all sorts of useful things, and they don't lose their properties when they're brought over to Remnant."</p><p>Yang nodded. Suddenly her fight with Vernal made a lot more sense. She didn't have a bunch of powers – that ring of hers was magic, and Yang was willing to bet her blades were as well.</p><p>"What Raven does," Qrow spoke up, "is she takes her goons across and has them find those artifacts, then they bring them back and sell them off to the highest bidder."</p><p>"You sell them off? Seriously?" Yang looked at Raven, eyebrows shooting upwards. "That doesn't sound very safe at all."</p><p>"It isn't," Raven said matter-of-factly. "But it is profitable."</p><p>"And Beacon just lets you do that?" Yang said.</p><p>"Raven struck a deal with Ozpin a long time ago," Qrow said, his tone of voice leaving no question about what he thought of the matter. "She behaves herself, keeps the most dangerous artifacts within the tribe, and Beacon doesn't come down on her."</p><p>"You can call it a deal, or you can call it what it is," Raven said. "A courtesy on my part, and a compromise on Ozpin's. Because you couldn't stop me if you tried."</p><p>"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Raven," Qrow said. "We could make life very difficult for you, and you don't want that."</p><p>"You're right, that would be a headache." Raven rested her head on her hand and smirked at him. "But oh, could I return the favor. And dear Ozpin doesn't want <em>that</em>."</p><p>For what felt like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, Qrow and Raven locked eyes, each trying to outdo the other with their death stares, as if <em>that </em>would somehow resolve anything. Groaning, Yang finished her tea, and put her cup down forcefully. That, thankfully, drew the siblings' attention back to her.</p><p>"This is all very fascinating stuff, really. Can't wait to have an existential crisis over it later," Yang said. She looked at Raven. "Explain to me how any of it is relevant to those people you murdered."</p><p>Raven stiffened, her eyes flaring with anger, but it was gone a second later. Though it startled her, Yang didn't give ground, continuing to stare at her mother until she got her answer.</p><p>"Thosepeople I killed," Raven said, restraining a sigh, "were a bunch of good-for-nothing delinquents. Their leader was a former member of the tribe, and <em>that</em>, I regret. I certainly wouldn't have brought him in if I knew what a rat he would turn out to be." She paused. "He's the reason I had to do what I did."</p><p>Qrow sat straight, his face skeptical even as he paid rapt attention to Raven's words. "I checked the bodies, or what you left of them. I didn't recognize any of them as tribe people."</p><p>"That's because Shay's body isn't in this plane anymore," Raven said, and stared off for a moment. "At this point, it's safe to say it's not in <em>any </em>plane."</p><p>Yang wanted to ask, but at the same time, she didn't.</p><p>"Shay." Qrow nodded. "Yeah, that checks out. What did he do to earn your wrath?"</p><p>"He broke the rules," Raven said. "Six months ago, he approached me about leaving the tribe. Wanted to carve out his own place in the world, some nonsense like that. Normally I don't entertain that from my followers, but he was starting to be more of a pain than he was worth, so I let him go. And of course, that little shit showed his appreciation by sneaking off with a bag full of the tribe's artifact stash, and my own."</p><p>"What did he take with him?" Qrow asked.</p><p>"Nothing <em>too</em> dangerous," Raven said. "Except for one item, which I recovered myself years ago, through no small effort. It's a crystal-like shard, dark, and when I held it in my hand, my strength, resilience, speed – they were all amplified, and <em>greatly</em>. The same was true for any other person that held it."</p><p>"Sounds like something we don't want out there in whoever's hands," Qrow noted.</p><p>"You don't understand the half of it. Let me finish," Raven said. "That <em>thing </em>isn't just some artifact. It has a will of its own. Anyone that uses it, it takes over their body. They grow stronger and stronger, but at the same time, they lose all will of their own. All they know is to fight and kill in search of a stronger host, and they won't stop until they do… or until they're reduced to a lifeless husk."</p><p>Yang shifted in her pillow. The thought of an evil thing like that going inside her and taking control of her body… It made ritual sacrifice sound almost trivial.</p><p>"I'm guessing you found that out the hard way," Qrow said quietly.</p><p>Raven clenched her fist over her knee. "Yes. After I realized how dangerous that thing was, I hid it in my personal stash. That didn't stop that idiot from taking it while I was away."</p><p>"How do you stop it, then?" Yang asked. "From taking over people?"</p><p>"It's simple," Raven said. "You kill the host. That forces the creature back into the crystal."</p><p>Yang wished she hadn't drunk all her tea. Her stomach was terribly upset all of a sudden.</p><p>"That's why you killed those people? They were… possessed?" Yang asked.</p><p>"I couldn't risk the chance any of them might be," Raven said.</p><p>"But none of them were," Qrow said. "You didn't recover the crystal, did you?"</p><p>"No. By the time I realized it was gone, Shay had already sold it. To whom, I don't know yet," Raven said. "That's what I'm in the process of finding out."</p><p>"Oh, you're in the process! Mistral is saved, then," Qrow said. "You should have reached out to Beacon right away, Raven. To me, at least. Innocent people could die because of this!"</p><p>"You think I don't know that? I'm working on it. I've <em>been </em>working on it, that's what led you here," Raven said. If she'd been hostile towards Qrow before, now Yang thought she might actually get up and hit him. "This is my responsibility, Qrow. Of that, I'm very aware. So I don't need yours or anyone's help, and that's the end of it."</p><p>"So, let me get this straight," Qrow said. "You had a dangerous object in your possession, which you carelessly let some <em>rat </em>get his hands on and sell it off, you don't know where it is now, it could kill tens of people before you find it, and you're refusing any help… because of your pride."</p><p>Raven got up, Qrow following her cue instantly. Their eyes locked, Raven took a step back, her fists taut near her waist. Yang watched from the ground, not knowing what was about to happen, not sure what she should do, <em>if </em>she should do anything-</p><p>Finally, Raven looked away. "Fine. I'll accept your help, Qrow."</p><p>"Good," Qrow said, his posture loosening ever so slightly. "We can work together on this."</p><p>"Yes, yes. You don't need to say anything more." Raven sighed. "I'm tired. We'll talk about this in the morning." She turned around and gestured dismissively over her shoulder. "Find Vernal outside. She'll get you a place to stay in for the night."</p><p>"Yeah, thanks," Qrow said. "Yang?"</p><p>Yang looked towards her mother. There were a hundred more questions she wanted to ask her, but they were all so daunting, and she hadn't even started to process what she'd learned so far. She couldn't bring herself to leave, yet staying didn't feel any easier.</p><p>"Oh, stab me with a dull knife. You're as difficult as her," Qrow muttered under his breath. "I'll be outside whenever you're done."</p><p>He walked out of the tent, and Yang jumped to her feet. Just a second alone with Raven, and the decision to leave or stay was no longer a decision. She walked towards the outside.</p><p>"Yang."</p><p>She turned and saw Raven sitting at the edge of a cupboard, studying her with an expression Yang couldn't decipher.</p><p>"Before you go. What's the verdict?" Raven said. "Am I monster, or am I something else?"</p><p>Yang paused. She didn't know what answer Raven wanted out of her, and she didn't know how she would answer honestly because she didn't know <em>what </em>she felt. She had imagined so many ways her mother might be, how she might receive her – with a warm embrace; with a cold indifference – but the woman before her was somewhere in the middle of all those versions.</p><p>An unknown, like she'd always been.</p><p>"Jury's still out," Yang said, and walked away.</p><hr/><p>The tent Yang and Qrow were given was of a thin and flimsy material which barely protected them from the wind, and that, combined with the fact that they were as far away from the bonfire as they could be within the walls, made for miserable sleeping conditions. It also didn't help that Yang could still feel the grass and mud slushing under her, even with a sleeping cot between her and the ground.</p><p>She turned over to look at her uncle. He lay on his own cot, apparently much more comfortable than she was, but she didn't know if he was asleep yet. His back was turned towards her, so she couldn't see his face.</p><p>"Uncle Qrow?"</p><p>Qrow shifted slightly, and a second later his voice rumbled throughout the tent. "What?"</p><p>"Just wanted to know if you were awake," Yang whispered. "I can't sleep."</p><p>"Well that's <em>terrible</em>," Qrow said. "You want me to read you a bedtime story?"</p><p>Yang turned to look at the ceiling. "Sorry."</p><p>She should have known better than to bother Qrow. He'd had a terrible day overall, and she partly responsible for that. When he'd learned that his sister had gone on a killing spree, he'd surely not been expecting to also have to introduce his niece to her. He deserved a break.</p><p>"That was some wild stuff you heard in there. How are you taking it, kiddo?"</p><p>Yang looked at Qrow. He'd turned to look at the ceiling too, a surly expression on his face, though now there was an air of patience about him.</p><p>"Mostly okay? I guess when you do what I do, nothing can really surprise you," Yang said.</p><p>"Eh." Qrow shrugged. "Just you wait."</p><p>"Well <em>that's</em> a comforting thing to hear," Yang said. "Uncle Qrow, why are you and Raven so… you know, at each other's throats?"</p><p>"Is that what it felt like?" Qrow said, and Yang couldn't tell if he was joking or if genuinely hadn't noticed. "Sorry, kiddo. Things have been tense between us for a long time. We didn't part ways in a cordial manner, let's put it like that."</p><p>"When was the last time you two saw each other?"</p><p>Qrow scrunched his forehead. "Three years ago. Or way longer than that. I can't be sure."</p><p>Yang wanted to ask how he couldn't be sure about something like that, but she figured she would just get an answer along the lines of <em>it's complicated </em>or <em>because it's your mother</em>. And to be fair, now that she'd met the woman, she understood the excuses.</p><p>"Everyone seems to hate you here," Yang said hesitantly. "And earlier, Vernal called you a traitor."</p><p>Qrow scowled. "You wanna ask what I did, don't you?"</p><p>"No! I mean, I wanna know, but obviously you don't deserve any of their attitude," Yang said, shaking her head. "These people are all weirdos and borderline criminals. <em>You </em>are an awesome agent of Beacon. And the greatest uncle ever."</p><p>"Yet only Tai ever got the celebratory mugs." Qrow sighed, but Yang heard the mirth hidden behind it.</p><p>"So…" Yang said. "Did you leave the tribe or something? Well, obviously you did. You know what I'm asking."</p><p>Qrow was silent for a good while, just rubbing his chin in deep thought, and Yang started to wonder if this was going to be another <em>complicated </em>topic.</p><p>"Look, if you ask Raven, that's what she'd tell you. That I left," Qrow said. "Truth is, we both left the tribe when we were kids. We just wanted to get away from our parents. Tried our luck on the streets, just surviving each day, which was still better than what we had before."</p><p>"Oh." Yang hugged herself. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."</p><p>"It's alright, kiddo. That was a long time ago, and I don't stress about it anymore, so neither should you," Qrow said. "Never saw the point in telling you. Probably for the best you didn't know."</p><p>"Probably."</p><p>Was that why Qrow drank so much? That explained a lot of things, actually.</p><p>"Anyway, it was during that time that we found out we weren't regular kids," Qrow said. "Raven could make portals and teleport around and take us to explore strange planes, and I… I was a bad luck magnet. That got us into a lot of trouble, trust me. Both our things did."</p><p>"Wait, you explored those places Raven talked about when you were <em>kids</em>?" Yang said.</p><p>"Look, we weren't exactly kids by that point. And it was easier than looking through trash cans, depending on where we went," Qrow said. "You've got <em>no idea </em>what's out there, Yang."</p><p>"Elves? Giants? Three-headed hounds from hell?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Yes, absolutely all of those, as well as sentient frying pans," Qrow said. "<em>Moving on</em>. Eventually, our antics caught Beacon's attention. We avoided them for a while, but we were dumb, so we got cornered. Somehow, Ozpin talked us into working with him. We became agents of Beacon."</p><p>"Sorry, but I can't picture Raven working for Ozpin," Yang said.</p><p>"Well, we got food and comfy beds, so that helped," Qrow said. "To be honest I'm still not sure how he convinced her. Maybe it was for the sake of us staying together. Simpler times."</p><p>"Simpler times," Yang said. "But it didn't last."</p><p>"Nope. One day, Raven just up and left. She went back to the tribe and took control of it, made it into what it is today, while I decided to stay with Beacon," Qrow said. "She never forgave me for that. Which I guess is kinda fair, 'cause it still baffles me that she left like that."</p><p>"I don't get it. If things were so much better for you two, why did she come back to the tribe? Why did she leave?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Beats me. I never got a straight answer out of her, and to be honest, I've given up trying to figure out what's happening inside that woman's head," Qrow said. "Maybe you'll have better luck. But I wouldn't build up hope if I were you."</p><p>Yang nodded. "Did she leave before or after she had me?"</p><p>"That's a tricky question. The timing… I think she might have been pregnant already. I couldn't tell at the time, though, so take that with a grain of salt."</p><p>Yang's head was swimming with questions. When exactly in all of that mess had she been born? And how did her father factor into the story? She wanted to ask Qrow, but from the way he spoke, he might not be able to answer, and that would only make him feel worse.</p><p>"Thanks, Uncle Qrow," Yang said. "This is a lot to think about. But I guess we should sleep now. We've got a spooky crystal demon-thingy to track down tomorrow."</p><p>Qrow chuckled. "<em>We</em>, huh?"</p><p>"What, you're gonna try and stop me from going along? 'Cause you know how well that worked out for you last time," Yang said. "…Quitter."</p><p>"I'm not gonna argue with you. I'm more worried how Raven will take it," Qrow said. "She's prideful to a fault, Yang. You saw what it took to get her to cooperate with me."</p><p>"Well, maybe it'll be different with me," Yang said. "I'll talk to her in the morning. And if she says I can't help, I'll convince her otherwise."</p><p>Qrow shuddered, as if that was the most terrifying proposition he'd ever heard. "Yeah, think I'll let you two hash that out by yourselves and sleep in. Good luck."</p><hr/><p>Yang's sleep came in sporadic bursts, accompanied by dreams too wild for her to comprehend in the short time they lasted. At some point she'd woken up and found herself unable to close her eyes again, so she spent the next hours staring at the ceiling, not thinking about anything in particular.</p><p>Eventually sunlight filtered in through the tent, and birds started to chip outside. Yang looked at Qrow to see if he was still sleeping, then got up and exited the tent. She stood at the entrance for a moment, basking in the fresh morning air and trying to shake off the exhaustion in her bones.</p><p>Apparently, she was far from the first person in the camp to wake up. There were a good number of people already out and about, seeing to their tasks. There was a group of four at the extinguished bonfire, one pair removing the ashes and burnt wood, the other placing new logs for later. No one spared more than a glance at Yang, but she couldn't help but still feel unwelcome among them.</p><p>Well, that was their problem, not hers. Yang shrugged and walked towards Raven's tent. She almost expected someone to try and stop her, but luckily for all parties, no one did.</p><p>She hopped up the steps to the wooden platform and stepped towards the entrance, but stopped when she saw the flap was zipped shut. She'd assumed Raven would be awake already – Yang couldn't imagine her being the type of person to sleep in – but maybe she'd been wrong.</p><p>Yang turned around, thinking she ought to come back later, but stopped when she heard a voice behind her. It had come from inside the tent, she was pretty sure, and she confirmed her suspicion when she approached the flap again and tilted her ear towards it.</p><p>"Believe me, we're not making it a custom of working with him," Raven said. "But we've been at a dead end, Vernal, and if there's one person who can actually be useful in this sort of predicament, it's Qrow. I don't like it any more than you do, but it is what it is."</p><p>"We don't need him," Vernal replied. "I <em>can </em>find the crystal by myself. I just need more time and I'll bring it to you."</p><p>"If that were within your capability, the crystal would already be in my hand. Alas, we still don't know where it is," Raven said. "I've heard what you have to say, Vernal, but my decision is final. Unless you think there's something else I've failed to consider?"</p><p>"No. I put my trust in you, as always." There was a pause. "I'll drive back to Haven, then. Should I bring people with me?"</p><p>"No, that won't be necessary," Raven said. "Be prepared to receive me."</p><p>"Yes, Raven."</p><p>Yang heard footsteps approaching the flap, and jumped away from it. Panicking, she spun around and put her hands behind her back, and started whistling a little tune. Or tried to – Yang had never really gotten the hang of whistling, and she was paying for that now.</p><p>A couple seconds passed, and Vernal stepped out of the tent. She halted in her tracks immediately, staring at Yang with the usual animosity. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Enjoying the morning air. I didn't know the weather was so good around these parts – shows what I've been missing on!" Yang said, smiling wide. "Is Raven up yet?"</p><p>Vernal's eyes narrowed. "Were you <em>listening in </em>on us?"</p><p>She took a step towards Yang, taking them both dangerously close to the edge of the platform. Yang dropped the act in an instant, clenching her fists as she glared back.</p><p>"So what if I did? I didn't hear anything important," she said. "Just you whining like a brat and getting scolded for it." She leaned to the side and made a show of looking Vernal up and down. "Wait, where did your tail go? Coulda sworn I saw it between your legs a second ago."</p><p>Vernal's hands flew to her blades. Yang shoved her away and took a stance, raising her fists before her.</p><p>"What, you want round two?" Yang said. "First one didn't work out so well for you."</p><p>"Way I remember it, you were the one who had to be rescued by her uncle," Vernal spat.</p><p>"Wow, it takes <em>some</em> mental gymnastics to think I was the one being rescued there," Yang said. "Come on. Try your little magic trick on me again. What are you waiting for?"</p><p>They stared, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Vernal's fingers tightened around her blades, and Yang lowered her stance, calculating a precise counter-attack to knock her on her ass.</p><p>"Are you two quite done?"</p><p>Raven walked out of her tent, sipping on a cup of a tea. Her gaze shifted from Yang to Vernal, a lazy amusement in her eyes.</p><p>"As entertaining as it is to listen to you two hissing at each other," she said, "I think you both have better things to be doing at the moment. Am I wrong?"</p><p>Vernal put her blades away. "No," she said. "Sorry, Raven. I'll be going now."</p><p>She looked at Yang, communicating very clearly that the apology did not extend to her, and walked away.</p><p>"See ya," Yang said, waving. "Don't let the door hit ya."</p><p>Vernal flipped her the bird over her shoulder and kept walking.</p><p>Raven sighed. "Must you antagonize her?"</p><p>"She's the one who started it," Yang said. "Girl acts like I stuck my foot in her soup or something. I'm not just gonna stand there and take that."</p><p>"And as admirable an attitude that is, I cannot find it in me to care," Raven said. "You're a guest of the tribe, Yang. I'd prefer you to keep that in mind in the future."</p><p>"Right. Sorry, I'll tone it down," Yang said. "…As long as she tones it down too."</p><p>Raven rolled her eyes and went back inside, and Yang followed her. She hadn't noticed it the previous night with all the excitement and nerves, but even for being in the middle of what was practically a bandit camp, this was no regular tent. There was an assortment of curious items scattered throughout it, left atop the furniture or displayed in glass cases.</p><p>Yang approached one of the cases and looked at the necklace that lay inside. She couldn't identify the purple gemstone, and though she was no expert in the subject, she doubted that was the reason why. It was probably from another world. She wondered what would happen if she put on the necklace. Would she gain the ability to levitate off the ground? Shoot lightning from her fingertips? Or maybe… she'd be turned into a frog.</p><p>Yang turned away from the case. She could live with not finding out.</p><p>"Tea?" Raven offered, refilling her cup.</p><p>"No thanks," Yang said. "Is that all you drink around here?"</p><p>"I'm sure we can find you some grape juice," Raven said. She leaned back against a desk and drank silently, her eyes following Yang's every movement as if she were some sort of exotic animal. Or a bumbling baby. Or a ticking bomb.</p><p>She probably took her for a mixture of all three, Yang figured.</p><p>"So. Vernal," Yang said. "I'm guessing she's <em>always </em>such a ray of sunshine, and I'm not a special case."</p><p>"Vernal is who she is," Raven replied nonchalantly.</p><p>"Mhmm." Yang crossed her arms. "Is she <em>particularly </em>pissed because she didn't even know I existed?"</p><p>"That is an interesting theory," Raven said. "I see you're capable of putting two and two together. Though if you want to get to know Vernal, I recommend that you talk to the woman herself, and not I. We speak for ourselves here."</p><p>"Maybe I'll give that a try," Yang said, though she really couldn't care about Vernal anymore. "So you really didn't tell anyone about me? No one here had any idea you have a daughter?"</p><p>Raven raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you go around informing everyone you meet about the mother you never knew?"</p><p>"No, but I tell the people I'm close with," Yang said.</p><p>Raven nodded. "That's good for you."</p><p>She sipped her tea, not saying another word, and Yang almost walked over and slapped the cup out of her hands.</p><p>"Why are you acting like I'm your neighbor you bumped into at the supermarket?" Yang said. "I'm your daughter. I'm here. Do you not care? Am I bothering you?"</p><p>"I've welcomed you inside my home, which is not something I do lightly," Raven said. "Did you expect to be received with a hug, is that it?"</p><p>"No, I didn't. I just-" Yang gestured at the air impotently. "I wasn't expecting anything, okay? But you're not making this easy."</p><p>"Well I'm sorry, Yang, but I'm not familiar with the protocol. You might be surprised, but I didn't wake up yesterday with a step-by-step plan of how to connect with my twenty-year-old daughter," Raven said. "I have things going on, if you haven't noticed. I have a life of my own. I didn't spring into existence the moment you set your eyes on me in this camp. And yet I'm freely giving you my time when I could have booted you out the gates. So please do tell me, what do you want from me?"</p><p>Yang stared, stunned silent. Raven pushed off the desk and put her cup away inside a cupboard, her hands visibly shaking. When she turned back to face Yang again, they had stopped, and her expression betrayed no larger emotion once again. But Yang couldn't forget.</p><p>"Why are you here, Yang?" Raven asked.</p><p>Yang didn't know. She had one question above all – <em>why did you leave? </em>– but she couldn't ask it. She wasn't ready to hear the answer. Not yet.</p><p>"When are you going to Haven?" Yang said. "To track down the… you know. Demon-thingy."</p><p>"I sent Vernal to drive back to the city," Raven said. "Once she's there, I'll open a portal to her and get myself and Qrow there."</p><p>"Why wait? Couldn't you just teleport to the city right away?" Yang said.</p><p>"Because that's not how my Semblance works," Raven said. "Opening a portal from one plane to another, that I can do anywhere, unless I'm looking to go somewhere specific. But to travel a long distance within the same plane, I need someone to anchor myself to at the other side."</p><p>Yang opened her mouth to interject, but Raven raised a hand.</p><p>"It needs to be someone I've bonded to in advance. And I can only do that with a few people at a time," Raven said. "Does that cover all your questions?"</p><p>"Yeah. So, basically, to do your stuff, you gotta rely on other people," Yang said. "Well, ain't that just so <em>you</em>."</p><p>Raven grinned humorlessly. "You take after your uncle."</p><p>"What can I say, he's a great influence," Yang said. "I'm coming with you to catch your ghost demon."</p><p>"Are you, now?" Raven said. "Why?"</p><p>"<em>Because</em>, it's a ghost demon," Yang said. "You've been really clear about how dangerous that thing is, to society as a whole, so I'm not gonna just sit by and wait while you and Qrow take care of it."</p><p>"Don't you save the world enough on your own time?" Raven said.</p><p>"I do. And this <em>is </em>my own time."</p><p>Raven sighed. She rubbed her forehead, thinking for a moment, then shook her head at Yang.</p><p>"I can't let you do that," she said.</p><p>"Excuse me? Who said anything about you letting me do anything?" Yang said. "And are you really gonna do the same thing you did with Qrow? Are you really that proud that you're gonna refuse my help too?"</p><p>"It's not about pride," Raven said. "You're not fit to accompany us, that's all. You're not strong enough."</p><p>"You <em>just</em> said I save the world all the time. I've wrestled so many Grimm to death I've lost count." Yang paused. "Do I need to flex my guns for you?"</p><p>"That's not the kind of strength I'm talking about," Raven said. "You saw what I had to do to try and contain that thing. I killed those people without hesitation. We might have to do even worse before this is over. And I don't think you're capable of that."</p><p>The sight and smell of the blood returned to Yang for an instant, and she flinched just thinking about it. But she didn't look away from Raven.</p><p>"You have no idea what I'm capable of," she said.</p><p>Raven stared at her for a while, as if pondering something, and Yang thought she saw admiration in her eyes. But she was probably just seeing what she wanted to see.</p><p>"Follow me," Raven said.</p><p>She walked to the wall opposite the entrance and lowered a flap Yang hadn't noticed before. They stepped out into a small area fenced off from the rest of the camp. Yang immediately felt <em>something</em>, a feeling she couldn't quite describe but was still familiar to her. After a few seconds, she remembered why – it was the same feeling she'd felt when she investigated Shay's office back in Haven. Something about the air there had been <em>different</em>, and it was the same here.</p><p>"What's going on here?" Yang said. She swatted in front of her face, trying to get rid of the feeling, but it didn't get any better. "I'm not crazy, am I? There's something off about this place."</p><p>Raven looked at her, for once genuinely surprised. "You feel it already?"</p><p>"Yeah? What is <em>it</em>? And what do you mean <em>already</em>?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Nothing to worry about. You'll understand soon enough," Raven said.</p><p>"Oh, great. More cryptic crap, just what I needed," Yang said. "What are we doing here? Are you gonna murder me and bury my body in your backyard? 'Cause I'd like to write my last will first, if you don't mind."</p><p>"You want to accompany me to Haven. I'll allow it," Raven said. "But first you'll have to prove your strength to me."</p><p>Yang stared at her for a moment, then stepped back and raised her fists before her.</p><p>"…What are you doing?" Raven said.</p><p>"Getting ready to fight," Yang said. "That's what we're doing, right?"</p><p>Raven looked at the sky and muttered something under her breath. A moment of silence passed before Yang realized she'd read the situation completely wrong, and she straightened up awkwardly.</p><p>"Uhm, so how do I prove myself or whatever?" Yang said.</p><p>"I'm putting you through the tribe's initiation test, the same one taken by anyone joining the tribe. Suffice it to say, it's a grim ordeal," Raven said. She took a second look at Yang. "Of course, taking into account how <em>amazing </em>you already are, I'll have to raise the bar for success accordingly."</p><p>"Gee, thanks."</p><p>Raven turned and walked to the center of the fenced area. She looked around, her eyes unblinking, as if she were staring at somewhere else altogether. Slowly, she raised a hand, and Yang shuddered as that unnamable feeling heightened. Then Raven swiped at the air with her hand, and where before had been only air, now floated a glowing red portal.</p><p>Raven looked back at Yang and gestured at the portal. "Well, you first."</p><p>Yang walked over to the portal. She slowly brought a hand towards it and looked back at Raven, who met her stare dispassionately. Swallowing dry, Yang turned and touched the portal.</p><p>For a split second, everything was red.</p><p>And then she fell face-first on soft snow. She jumped to her feet at once, slapping at her face – the snow was so cold it burned. As she flailed her arms and hopped from one foot to the other, her stomach turned suddenly and she bent over, leaning on her knees as she retched. Nothing came out, and after a full minute, the nausea subsided.</p><p>Yang stood straight, shivering. She was… in the middle of a snowstorm? Looking around, she found the glow of the portal behind her, and Raven standing there, watching.</p><p>"…the fuck?" was all Yang managed to say.</p><p>"Feeling nauseated?" Raven asked, her lips twitching. "Don't be embarrassed if you have to throw up. It's normal for first-timers."</p><p>"Thanks, I'm g-good," Yang said, wiping her mouth. "Is this part of the test?"</p><p>"No, but it's a good first step," Raven said. "Now, if you had doubled over and passed out, <em>that </em>would have been a disappointment."</p><p>"Yeah, sure. Very funny," Yang said. "Okay, so what now? What's the next part of the test?"</p><p>"It's simple," Raven said. "You survive for twenty-four hours."</p><p>Yang glared at her. "You really gotta work on your sense of humor."</p><p>Raven raised an eyebrow, and stepped back through the portal. It vanished, and Yang was left staring at the emptiness left behind.</p><p>"Uh… That was a joke, right? Raven? Hello?"</p><p>The snow buffeted her mercilessly.</p><p>She heard no response.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Yang's Very Weird Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everywhere Yang looked, there was snow. It somehow came from all directions at once, and with her having understandably travelled to Mistral in summer clothing, she had no way to protect her exposed arms and legs, not to mention her face. The snow stung against her skin, briefly but no less intensely for it, and with how incessantly it hit her, she didn't have a second of respite.</p><p>The next time Yang saw Raven, she was going to punch her in the mouth.</p><p>Yang just kept walking, her boots sinking deep with every step she took. She didn't know where she was going – what little she could make out of the horizon through the storm was always the same, an endless white with no discernible landmarks – but she knew if she stopped moving for even a minute, the cold would overwhelm her and she would never move again.</p><p>She was surprised she hadn't dropped dead already, honestly. Any person in her situation would have died in a matter of minutes in this place. What little protection her Aura offered her shouldn't be enough to save her. Yet inexplicably, she was still standing. There was still something deep inside of her that kept her warm.</p><p>But that wouldn't keep her alive forever. She hadn't eaten dinner yesterday, and the fries she'd shared with Qrow barely counted as lunch. The hollow she felt in her stomach was a constant reminder that, if she didn't find something to eat soon, it didn't matter how warm she kept, she would collapse sooner or later.</p><p>She hadn't had anything to drink since she'd woken up, either…</p><p><em>Wait</em>. Yang looked down at her feet. <em>I'm dumb</em>.</p><p>Stopping for but a couple seconds, Yang crouched and scooped up a pile of snow in her hands. She watched it as she walked onward, hoping that the pile would melt with just the warmth of her hands, but there was no sign of it. With no other option at her disposal, she took a bite off the pile, cringing as her teeth chattered with the cold that filled her mouth.</p><p>Thankfully, the snow did melt against her tongue. The taste wasn't the least bit pleasant, and it only got worse when she swallowed, but it was better that than die of thirst. She could only hope she wouldn't grow a third arm because of it.</p><p>Okay, so that was taken care of, but unless she stumbled upon an all-you-can-eat buffet in the middle of winter hell-land, she had no idea how she was going to solve her hunger problem.</p><p>But she didn't have time to make plans. No time to be scared or feel pity for herself. She had to keep moving…</p>
<hr/><p>Twenty-four hours. That wasn't that much time. Just a day. And <em>at least</em> half of that had already passed, surely. That had to be true. Raven would show up at any second and whisk her back home.</p><p>A whole day.</p><p>She had to survive a whole day in this place.</p><p>Yang drudged on, arms wrapped around herself. Her eyes fluttered open and shut. She just felt so tired, the exhaustion seeping to her very bones. If she could just lay down for a minute and gather her strength…</p><p>Her right foot sank through the snow and hit something. Wide awake in an instant, Yang looked down with wide eyes. Whatever she had hit wasn't hard enough to be stone – it was soft, almost yielding to the shape of her boot, and it was surprisingly… warm.</p><p>Yang tried to pull her leg back, only to feel it on her ankle too. Realizing whatever was under the snow was now wrapped around her leg, she tugged harder, hopping back forcefully in an attempt to free herself, but it was like she was caught in a vice-grip.</p><p>Suddenly, the snow exploded out from under her. Yang saw a gigantic shape emerge in front of her eyes, and the next second she was off the ground, being hurled skyward by a hand around her ankle. She was slammed face-first onto the snow, and then the ground became an indiscernible blur under her as she was dragged away at a breakneck speed.</p><p>Gasping for air, Yang reached out for something to hold onto, but her fingers only made trails in the snow. Desperate, she trashed and flailed her arms, until her elbow hit something solid and she managed to turn herself onto her back. She bent her neck to look at the creature that dragged her and screamed.</p><p>It was easily twice her size, probably more, a headless torso covered in white fur so thick she couldn't see what was under it. It had not two arms, but four, which went well past its waist and seemed to have two elbows each instead of just one. Its legs, in comparison, were so short they were barely visible above the snow, but the creature compensated for that by using its three free arms to bound through the snow, almost like a gorilla might do.</p><p>Yang couldn't be more panicked, but by some leftover instinct in her, she understood perfectly what was happening to her. There was only one reason a beast like this would attack her like this – to fill its belly. But first, it would drag her to its cave or wherever it lived. And when they got there, <em>then </em>she would be done for.</p><p>"Hey! Let me - <em>go</em>!" Yang kicked with her free leg, aiming at the hand wrapped around her ankle, but she missed her target wide. She tried again, and on her third attempt felt something crack under her foot.</p><p>Shrieking, the creature let go of her ankle and continued to run ahead for a handful leaps more. It turned around, kicking snow up everywhere, and shrieked again – though this time it was more of a roar, so vengeful Yang skipped a heartbeat. She saw a single yellow eye hidden deep amidst the white fur, and just below that, a mouth with two rows of jagged black teeth.</p><p>"No. No no no no-"</p><p>The creature ran back towards her, and Yang dove to the side, but it crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and swung around with a hand to grab her. Yang threw herself to the ground, ducking under just in time, only for another hand to come swinging the other way and grab hold of her hair. It pulled, and Yang yelled in pain as she was dragged towards the creature.</p><p>"Mother<em>fucker</em>!" Yang spun around, raising her leg in a roundhouse kick. She hit a knee, and the beast teetered to the right and released her hair.</p><p>Yang hopped back, and thought twice about it. This thing had evolved to sprint through the snow, while she had not, and she was tired and weak to boot. Escaping was not an option. The only way she was going to survive this encounter was by fighting.</p><p>Yang charged in, knowing that she was at disadvantage at a range. Being close to those terrifying teeth was no less dangerous, but she had to play to her strengths. She punched the monster just under its mouth, sending it skidding backwards and away from her.</p><p>The creature used two arms to right itself and stared at her for a second, appearing surprised that she was fighting back and hurting it, before it closed in on her again. It swung an arm, and Yang let herself be grabbed by the leg and lifted off the floor. As another hand flew towards her – <em>it's gonna rip me apart instead </em>– she threw her weight forward, swinging around to grab onto the arm lifting her.</p><p>She raised a fist and pulled back, then brought it down on one of the elbows with all her strength. The creature snarled in pain, and Yang pulled her leg free and climbed onto the arm. She ran up its length as it scrambled to catch her, and jumped at the apex, kicking the top of the beast's body as she soared over it.</p><p>Yang landed with a shaky breath, the ground rumbling as the creature collapsed behind her. She turned, fists still raised, and waited patiently for it to get up. A full minute passed without the monster as much as stirring, and Yang started to wonder if she had done more damage than she had expected – until in the span of seconds, the creature leapt to its feet, spun around, and hit her with the back of two of its hands at once.</p><p>Yang went tumbling backwards, rolling helplessly through the snow. When she finally stopped and rose, she could barely breathe, and she shook with cold and rage. The creature approached her again, slowly but with no less hostility. It knew she was a dangerous prey now, and was going to treat her as such and kill her the first chance it got.</p><p>It lowered itself on its four arms, its eye becoming level to her head, and it <em>roared </em>so forcefully it displaced the snow between them. For a second, Yang recoiled, and then she clenched her fists and bent forwards, matching the creature's rage with a wordless scream. Flames irradiated from her body, encircling her and driving away the storm, and her hair flowed upwards like a torch.</p><p>"Come at me, you yeti freak!" Yang shouted. "You wanna eat something, I'll break all your arms and shove them down your throat! Abominable Snowman-looking ass! Go ahead and try me!"</p><p>The creature reared back, its eye flitting up and down as it regarded her in surprise. Yang took a step forward, the fire spreading outwards like a nova, and the creature jumped back and away from the heat, hunched in terror. Snarling one last time, the creature shook its whole body and bounded away. Seconds later, Yang lost sight of it in the snowstorm.</p><p>"That's what I thought," Yang grumbled, relaxing her arms. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and the blizzard struck her again as the fire around her faded. She hugged herself, shivering once again. "So much for being warm…"</p><p>Yang looked around, hardly believing what had just happened – sure she killed Grimm on the regular, but what she'd just fought wasn't that at all. It had been just like an animal, a predator she might have found living in nature in her world.</p><p>Yang stopped.</p><p><em>Her world</em>. She'd known from the moment she'd stepped through the portal, but only now did it sink in. She really wasn't on Remnant anymore. She was somewhere else altogether, a whole other plane, like Raven had said.</p><p>"This is insane," she said.</p><p><em>And kinda cool</em>.</p><p>Yang shook her head. Simply staying on the move wasn't enough anymore. What if she encountered another one of those yeti-things? Or something else. Like something that preyed on them.</p><p>Well, that had been a stimulating train of thought. Rubbing her arms, Yang started walking again in search of shelter.</p>
<hr/><p>She ended up finding it not much later – or maybe hours had passed. She didn't have a watch on her, and her Scroll wasn't working properly, so tracking time was a guessing game at best.</p><p>Drudging through the snow, Yang eventually stumbled upon a rock wall. It appeared in front of her so suddenly in the snowstorm, she almost hit it head-on, and when she leaned back and looked skyward, she quickly lost vision of it again. There was no telling if it was a lonesome landmark or part of something bigger, and frankly Yang couldn't care less. She was just happy to have something in front of her that wasn't endless snow.</p><p>She kept a hand on the wall as she walked on. She felt it incline inwards a couple minutes later, slightly at first, and then sharply until there was no wall anymore. Yang almost cried with joy - a cave!</p><p>Yang nearly tripped over herself as she scrambled inside. The wind still reached her there, but it was much less harsh. And the silence… She hadn't realized until now how deafening the storm was. Now that she knew, there was no way she was ever going back into it.</p><p>She sat down and rubbed her hands together, her breath crystalizing before her eyes. A bonfire would be ideal, but she hadn't seen any type of wood she might use to build one. She could make her own flames, but that took effort, assuming she could even do it at will. It probably wouldn't help much anyway, since she'd have to spend her own energy to keep it going.</p><p>Looking around, Yang realized the cave went way deeper than she'd first thought. She stood up and walked further inside, figuring the farther she went from the entrance, the warmer she'd be. If actual <em>warmth </em>was even a possibility in this place.</p><p>The walls narrowed the further she walked, and the ceiling lowered until she could see her own reflection looking down at her on the icicles that hung from it. Much of the rock around her was encased in ice, and Yang almost slipped several times on long patches on the ground. The light from the entrance grew dimmer…</p><p>Yang stopped suddenly, holding a scream in her throat. In the half-light ahead of her, two yellow eyes hovered, staring unblinkingly. After a few seconds, they grew nearer, and Yang drew back and clenched her fists as she prepared to fight for her life again.</p><p>Then she heard the soft pitter-patter of paws, and a fox walked out of the shadows. It wasn't exactly a fox - with two long antennas above its eyes and a thin, and a tail that was as big, if not bigger than the whole of its body, it had more than a few notables differences - but it looked enough like one that Yang's mind immediately made the association.</p><p>The fox stopped a couple steps in front of Yang and sat on its hind legs, tilting its head sideways as it stared at her. When she was sure it was only curious and didn't mean her any harm, Yang breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to her knees.</p><p>"Hey, buddy," she whispered. "What's up with you? Aren't you scared of me?"</p><p>If the fox understood her, it didn't let her know. It didn't talk back at her, and Yang wasn't sure whether to be thankful or disappointed.</p><p>"Can't imagine you've seen many humans around here, right? You must be one brave fellow," Yang said. "And wow… Look at that pretty fur of yours!"</p><p>The fox spun on itself and looked at her knowingly. Its fur was a pristine silver, with nary a spot on it, almost like snow. Yang had probably crossed a bunch of its kind outside without noticing them.</p><p>"And you're vain about it, too. Don't worry, it takes one to know one," Yang said. "It must keep you so warm too…"</p><p>Yang wondered how thick that fur was. It must serve for more than camouflage and retaining warmth. It also protected the meat under it. Soft, juicy meat…</p><p>Enough for her to sink her teeth into.</p><p>She met eyes with the fox, a whole conversation transpiring in a heartbeat.</p><p>Yang lunged forward, clapping her hands where the animal had been a second before. She looked up and saw the fox running away, deeper into the cave, and without even thinking about it, Yang jumped to her feet and gave chase.</p><p>"Come back here!" she shouted. "Please, I just wanna eat you! Is that too much to ask?"</p><p>The cave walls narrowed into a tunnel. It was darker than ever, but the white outline of the fox was still visible ahead. Yang refused to lose sight of it, slipping on ice and slamming into walls without care – by all rights she was drained of all energy, but something else was moving her, a primal force deep inside which she'd never had to tap into before.</p><p>A fork appeared ahead, splitting the tunnel in two. Yang saw another three foxes in the tunnel to the right, but they were gone a moment later, screeching as they ran into the darkness. Her fox screeched too, as if asking for help, and approached that same tunnel before it seemed to think twice and took the other one.</p><p>"Stop – running!" Yang pleaded, hoarse and out of breath.</p><p>The tunnel shrank drastically, forcing her to squat to keep chase. Suddenly a wall appeared in front of them, and Yang cackled maniacally as the fox pressed itself against it, clawing at the rock in desperation. She reached out with her hand to grab it…</p><p>With one last squeal, the fox flushed against the corner and vanished.</p><p>Yang stared, dumbfounded. That… That couldn't have just happened. She lay down on the floor and looked at where the fox had vanished. Relief washed over her. The fox hadn't <em>vanished </em>- there was a gap under the wall, big enough for it slip through. Even now she could see its tail swishing from side to side as it squeezed away from her.</p><p>Yang crawled closer to the gap and stuck a hand in it, patting around to get an idea of how big it was. Probably just big enough for her to squeeze through as well.</p><p>If Yang were being rational, she would have accepted her defeat and gone back. There were other foxes in these tunnels, and chances were she could snag one of them, given time and effort. But Yang had discarded rationality rational a long time ago. She was stranded in an alien world, cold to the bone, with a stomach so empty it hurt. And now her dinner was running away from her, probably snickering to itself and feeling all clever about it.</p><p>This would not stand.</p><p>Yang slipped her head into the gap. Wiggling around, she managed to get her shoulders and most of her torso in as well, before she found herself unable to get any deeper. Grunting, she extended her arms in front of her and grabbed onto the underside of the wall. She <em>pulled </em>herself deeper, wincing as the rocks dug into her thighs, but she was all in now.</p><p>She could do this.</p><p>"That's right." Yang repeated the motion. "I'm coming for you, you silvery bastard. I'm gonna devour you… with barbecue sauce! I'm gonna slurp up your antennas!"</p><p>The farther she got, the darker the space around her became. Eventually she was enshrouded in darkness, unable to see where she'd come from and what was in store for her up ahead. Yang persisted, feeling around blindly as she pulled herself along.</p><p>As she moved, Yang felt something felt something liquid under her. For a moment she worried she had injured herself, but then she realized she was lying on a puddle of water. <em>Water</em>, not ice. She stopped, the discovery taking her mind off her prize for a brief second. <em>How</em>?</p><p>She resumed her efforts. She splashed against even more water, and it wasn't cold. Her face flushed with a gentle warmth. A gentle orange light became visible ahead…</p><p>Yang reached for something to grab onto again, but her hands met open air. Euphoric, she kicked against the rocks above her, and after a few minutes of struggle, she found herself free at last.</p><p>Looking up, Yang saw she was in a circular chamber. Her toes were under a sheet of water – <em>thawed ice</em> – and the walls were dripping. There was nowhere else to go but back.</p><p>Well, that wasn't exactly true. Floating at the center of the chamber was a… portal? Yang knew that's what is was, it could be nothing else, but it wasn't like the one Raven had opened before. That one had been like a vortex of red energy. This one was like… it was like the very fabric between this world and whatever else lay beyond had been torn asunder, leaving a shard, a <em>window </em>in its wake. Heat emanated from it, and light – the light from a red sky she could see at the other side.</p><p>And cowering between her and the portal, was Yang's least favorite fox in all the worlds.</p><p>"Ahah," Yang said, flexing her fingers as she took a step towards the fox. "Thought you were getting away, did you? Think twice."</p><p>The fox whimpered, looking from her to the portal in panic.</p><p>"Listen, buddy. This isn't personal, okay? This is just the cycle of life," Yang said. "Big bad predator catches the critter to fill their belly. Ain't nothing wrong with that. And considering what's out there, you're probably getting off easy being my dinner." She slowly raised her hands. "So stay still, and don't even think about- <em>no</em>!"</p><p>The fox jumped through the portal.</p><p>In a demonstration of human excellency, Yang jumped right after it.</p>
<hr/><p>As she landed on her feet at the other side, Yang immediately felt the change in temperature. She'd been shivering a minute before, yet now she felt like she'd been dropped inside a hot sauna. It was so sudden and extreme it made her dizzy, her vision doubling before her eyes.</p><p>Yang crouched and rubbed her forehead, taking deep breaths. The air was hot and heavy, with a faint smell of ash to it. Looking down, Yang realized she was standing on vibrant-red grass. She ran a hand over it to make sure, and yes, it felt exactly like grass – and the dirt under it felt like dirt as well.</p><p>Having successfully avoided passing out, Yang carefully rose to her feet and turned in place to get her bearings. She seemed to be standing atop a hill in the middle of a red field. The grass stretched on as far as she could see, except for to the right of her, where a river – also red - cut a straight line. Beyond the river was the outline of a jungle, but it was too far away for Yang to make out what kind of trees those were. She figured they were probably red, like everything else in this world. Even the <em>sky </em>was red.</p><p>Her stomach rumbled. Yang scanned her surroundings more closely. The portal was still there, behind her, and through it she could see a sliver of the damp cave in the other world. And not far from the portal lay the fox, splayed on its side on the grass, limbs and tail limp.</p><p>Yang walked over and sat beside the animal. Its chest was rising and falling fast, and its eyes were fluttering wildly. Even when it saw Yang approach, it couldn't keep them open.</p><p>"Yeah, you're not meant for this kinda place…" Yang said. "Well. Guess this is it for us. Sorry."</p><p>She picked the fox by the fur on its back, then turned it around and held it in both hands before herself. It stared at her for a moment, releasing a low whine, before it closed its eyes and didn't open them again.</p><p>Yang's stomach turned, and it had nothing to do with how hungry she was.</p><p>"You're just trying to keep on living life, aren't you?" Yang sighed. "You <em>better </em>make it to three-hundred and have lots of cute grandkids."</p><p>She walked over to the portal and stuck her arms through it, and gently dropped the fox on the other side. It lay unmoving for a while, and Yang feared it had been too little too late for the poor creature – but it did eventually open its eyes and stood up. It turned around and blinked at her, then scurried off to the gap and disappeared.</p><p>"I don't think life insurance covers this," Yang muttered. "Sorry, Dad."</p><p>Yang looked across the portal. She knew the cave was safe, so she could hop back over and stay there until the end of the test. The idea of going back to the cold didn't appeal to her whatsoever, though. She vastly preferred the heat here, even if it was extreme. Plus, unless she had a major change of heart about the foxes, she wouldn't be getting any food in snow-world.</p><p>Better to try her luck here. She could start by going over to that river and getting some real water in her system. After that, she could search for something to eat that wouldn't weigh on her conscience.</p><p>Yang nodded and forced herself to smile. She had a plan. Good! Now she just had to carry it out. Everything would be just fine.</p>
<hr/><p>The river was fire.</p><p><em>Worlds where the rivers run with fire instead of water</em>, Raven had said. She hadn't been making it up.</p><p>Yang dropped on her butt, tears of frustration stinging in her eyes. Why couldn't <em>one thing </em>go her way? Just one thing. She wasn't asking for anything more.</p><p>Her head was killing her. She'd underestimated what effect going from extreme cold to extreme heat would have on her, and she was paying the price for it now. Her being hungry and thirsty and in all kinds of emotional distress didn't help either.</p><p>Was Raven even going to come to get her at this point? Had she <em>ever </em>intended to return, or had she seen an opportunity to get rid of her pesky daughter and took it?</p><p>Or maybe Yang had screwed herself out of getting rescued. She'd left the world Raven had dropped her at. How was she supposed to know where Yang had gone? How would she track her down? <em>If</em> she even wanted to.</p><p>Yang brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She pressed her face between them, shuddering all over.</p><p>She took a deep breath.</p><p>There was no use crying, especially if no one was coming to get her. Now more than ever, she needed to be strong. That was the whole point of this stupid exercise, after all.</p><p>Yang started to push herself up, but stopped when her arms and legs trembled in protest. She sat back down and looked at her surroundings. Aside from the river of fire, she saw nothing dangerous.</p><p><em>Rest. Then find food and water</em>.</p><p>Yang lied down on her side and closed her eyes.</p>
<hr/><p><em>Bird daughter wake up eat</em>.</p><p>Yang stirred in her sleep.</p><p>
  <em>Wake up eat.</em>
</p><p>Something hot touched the tip of her nose. Yang yelled and sat up. She brought up her hands to swat at whatever was attacking her, only to stop and stare in awe.</p><p>There was a fire the size of her head hovering in front of her – except it wasn't just some fire. It had a defined shape, very person-like but with stubbier arms and legs and no hands and feet to speak of. Its head began with a pointy top and widened towards the bottom, where it was round – like a teardrop. There were no proper eyes or a mouth on its face, but Yang got the impression it was looking at her, and that it was… annoyed with her.</p><p>
  <em>Eat.</em>
</p><p>The fire whizzed around Yang's head, then floated down to the ground to the right of her. Three tiny purple orbs lay amidst the grass next to it.</p><p>
  <em>Eat fire berries feel better.</em>
</p><p>"Are you… speaking to me?" Yang said.</p><p>If the fire could frown, it certainly was doing so now. <em>It appear. Eat.</em></p><p>"Are you like a fire fairy or something? Or a sprite?"</p><p><em>Can call if want</em>. It tapped the berries impatiently. Notably, they didn't sizzle or catch on fire. <em>Eat!</em></p><p>"Okay! Jeez."</p><p>Yang picked up the three orbs and turned them over, examining them for a moment. They were barely the size of a fingertip, but she was so hungry she couldn't care. She tossed them in her mouth and bit down. They secreted a warm liquid that flooded her senses, and when she swallowed it left a spicy taste behind. Warmth coursed through her, and she felt more filled than she had expected.</p><p>"Huh. That was pretty good, actually," Yang said. "Did you bring those to me?"</p><p>The sprite flew close to her face. <em>Fly river fly jungle fly river bring berries.</em></p><p>Yang looked at the jungle in the distance. It wasn't as far away as it'd looked from the portal, but it still was no small distance.</p><p>"All the way and back? Wow. Thanks, uh…" Yang said. "Do you have a name? I'm Yang."</p><p>
  <em>No people name. Bird daughter can give if want.</em>
</p><p>"Sure, but don't <em>you </em>wanna come up with your own name?" Yang said.</p><p>
  <em>People names dumb.</em>
</p><p>"Oh, okay. I'll try not to take that personally," Yang said. "Are you a boy or a girl?"</p><p>
  <em>Boy dumb girl dumb. Am fire.</em>
</p><p>"Wise point." Yang tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How about… Firefly?"</p><p>
  <em>Dumb name. Can call.</em>
</p><p>"Wait, are you speaking in my mind? How come I can understand you? How come you can understand me?"</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter fire child.</em>
</p><p>"That… doesn't explain anything."</p><p>Firefly didn't seem to care she was confused. If anything it seemed tired of her asking questions, as it whisked away to float above the river, then returned to her.</p><p>
  <em>Jungle more fire berries. No bring. Bird daughter come.</em>
</p><p>"Sure, I could use more food," Yang said. "I also need water, though. Do you know where I can find some?"</p><p>A hissing sound came from Firefly. The contours of its body undulated, and embers popped out of its back in puffs of smoke.</p><p>
  <em>No water! Water bad evil danger!</em>
</p><p>"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't think about that. I guess it makes sense that you'd be scared of water." Yang rubbed the back of her neck. "Still, I'm really thirsty. You don't have to come anywhere near the water, just point me in its direction, please?"</p><p>Firefly flew over to the river and shook its little arms towards it. <em>Drink fire!</em></p><p>Yang gasped. "That's so rude! I'm just asking for help, you jerk!"</p><p>Firefly popped another ember and floated down to the river. It scooped up a little fireball from the surface, then shoved it into its chest. <em>No rude. Drink fire.</em></p><p>"You're serious," Yang said. "Look, maybe that's fine with you, but I can't drink fire, just like you can't drink water. Get it?"</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter drink fire. Try.</em>
</p><p>"I can't just <em>try </em>to drink fire. That's not how it works!"</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter eat fire berries.</em>
</p><p>"That's not remotely the same thing."</p><p>
  <em>Make bird daughter drink!</em>
</p><p>Firefly dove headfirst into the river, and a few moments later came back carrying a fireball half its size between its hands. It slowly floated towards Yang, struggling with the added weight.</p><p>
  <em>Open!</em>
</p><p>"What?" Yang laughed. "No way, I'm not-"</p><p>Firefly tossed the fireball inside her mouth. Yang closed it reflexively, her eyes wide, and the fire ran straight down her throat… without harming her. If anything, the feeling was actually refreshing.</p><p>Firefly hovered close to her nose.</p><p><em>Dumb</em>.</p><p>Yang groaned. "Fine, you win. I'll drink your damn fire."</p><p>She crawled to the edge of the river and looked down at it. Still a bit unsure, she carefully dipped a fingertip in. Aside from it producing a slight trail as the flames ran past, nothing happened. Biting the bullet, she scooped a handful of fire and lapped it up ravenously.</p><p>This was the weirdest day of her life by far.</p><p>After she'd sated her thirst, Yang crossed the river – jumping over a narrow point, as she still felt too weird about it to swim across – and followed Firefly towards the jungle. The sprite was clearly annoyed with her walking speed, constantly making rounds around her head in an attempt to get her to up her pace, but Yang couldn't help it she couldn't fly.</p><p>Firefly gave her no reprieve when they reached the jungle, crossing its threshold right away, and Yang was forced to follow. All the tress in it appeared to be of the same type, with trunks of a maroon color. Those were actual wood, as far as she could tell. Odder were their foliage, far above the ground. They weren't leaves.</p><p>They were fire.</p><p>Obviously.</p><p>"Can we also drink from there?" Yang asked, pointing up.</p><p><em>Tree fire no drink</em>. Firefly briefly landed on her shoulder, and she flinched at the searing sensation. <em>Dumb</em>.</p><p>"Hey, why you gotta be like that?" Yang pouted. "We're friends, right? I don't know how the dynamic works here, but where I'm from, we're nice to our friends. Most of the time. We definitely don't make a habit of hurting each other, that's for sure!"</p><p>
  <em>Home same. Unless friend dumb. Then can hurt.</em>
</p><p>"You sure are full of yourself for a thing your size. You know I could squeeze you flat if I wanted, right?"</p><p>
  <em>Try. Bite finger. Bird daughter cry much.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah I'll cry on <em>you</em>, you little jerk."</p><p>They walked for a while more, until they came across a cluster of bushes. In an unprecedent change of pace, they were actual leaves, though they were hot-red in color. The bushes were peppered with the same purple berries Firefly had brought Yang, and it quickly flew down and started gesturing at them.</p><p>"Let me guess. Eat?" Yang said.</p><p>Firefly flipped over in mid-air. <em>Eat!</em></p><p>Yang crouched near the bushes and started picking the berries off of them. She experimented with popping one inside her mouth, and was happy to find it was just as delicious and filling as the ones she'd had earlier. After that she didn't bother to gather them anymore, and just ate each one as soon as she'd picked them.</p><p><em>No eat all! </em>Firefly darted in front of her face, swerving up and down. <em>Bird daughter greedy.</em></p><p>"Sorry," Yang mumbled, her mouth full. She swallowed and wiped a purple trail from her chin. "Got a bit carried away. I didn't eat yesterday, so that's that."</p><p>
  <em>Can bring if want. But share. Not all fire berries bird daughter.</em>
</p><p>"Well, since you're asking so nicely," Yang said dryly. "Also, why do you keep calling me <em>bird daughter</em>? You obviously know I'm a person. And I don't care what you believe, a person is not a bird."</p><p>Firefly hovered motionlessly before her. <em>Bird daughter</em>.</p><p>Yang sighed. "Of course. Everything is so much clearer now."</p><p>She continued to pick the bushes until she had two handfuls of the berries. Firefly then whisked away, going deeper into the jungle.</p><p>
  <em>Follow.</em>
</p><p>Yang did so without question. She <em>wanted</em> to ask where they going, but she had a feeling she would get an answer that was either too simplistic or too vague, so what would be the point? And it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go, anyway.</p><p>They walked onward, passing by more of the same berry bushes. Firefly took the lead with great speed, stopping every so often to let Yang catch up, at which point it would dart ahead again. It was nervous for some reason, and after she noticed that, Yang kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings. Every time she turned her head, she expected to find something else staring right back at her. They weren't alone in these woods. Despite the intense light provided by the trees, Yang couldn't help but feel creeped out.</p><p>They crossed into a wide clearing, and Firefly came back around to meet Yang. "What?" she asked, and it pointed upwards silently. She leant back to look towards to the sky, and noticed objects scattered across the branches in the trees. She had to strain her eyes to make out what they were, but even then they seemed strange – they were shaped like birdhouses almost, but instead of wood they seemed to be built of some cocoon-like material.</p><p>Whispers wriggled inside her mind, soft voices with the same ethereal quality as Firefly's.</p><p>
  <em>Return?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What bring?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Danger?</em>
</p><p>Tiny flame-like fingers grasped the doorways in the cocoon houses, followed shortly by timid heads. Yang saw a sprite just like Firefly exit one of them, and then another, and suddenly there were dozens of sprites staring down at her from the branches.</p><p>
  <em>Traveler.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fire child.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter here?</em>
</p><p>The sprites gently descended towards her, and Yang took a step back in reflex, but the tension in her body faded as they circled her. Though none of them touched her, she felt warm, and strangely enough, safer than she'd ever been anywhere, even her own childhood home back in Remnant.</p><p>She turned to look at Firefly. She didn't know how, but she could still tell it apart from the rest of the sprites, despite them all looking identical to her eyes. "This is your village?"</p><p><em>Friends family. Home. </em>Firefly floated up to her nose and rotated like a star. <em>Share!</em></p><p>Yang looked down at her hands. "Right!" She crouched and dumped the berries on the grass. She felt the fire sprites' joy echo in her mind as they all darted to the berries and started munching on them.</p><p><em>Bird daughter kind. </em>Firefly briefly rubbed against her cheek, then flew towards one of the trees and spun in circles next to it. Yang walked over, and Firefly dropped close to the ground. <em>Can sit sleep rest.</em></p><p>"Are you sure?" Yang said. "This is your home. I don't wanna cause you any trouble."</p><p><em>Home no trouble. Away home danger. </em>Firefly's body shone bright for a quick second. <em>Friends family watch bird daughter. Safe.</em></p><p>Yang smiled. "Thanks. I guess I could use some rest, yeah."</p><p>She sat down, and Firefly joined the others to munch on a berry of its own. As Yang settled against the tree trunk, one of the sprites parted from the bunch and flew over to her. It hovered in front of her face for a moment, then landed on her shoulder and lay down, nestling against the crook of her neck. It was an odd, yet pleasant sensation.</p>
<hr/><p>Yang woke up a couple hours later with Firefly poking her nose. She hadn't fallen asleep properly, but the safety of the grove and the warmth of the sprites that had come to lay with her had lulled her into a state of idle restfulness. Roused from that, she felt she could jump over mountains - maybe even wrestle a yeti monster into submission.</p><p><em>Friends family help bird daughter.</em> Firefly landed on her knee and looked up at her. <em>Bird daughter help friends family?</em></p><p>"You want me to help you with something?" Yang sat up straight, inadvertently shaking off a sprite on either of her shoulders. They flitted angrily about her ears, then darted off. "Sure. Do you need me to get you guys more food?"</p><p>
  <em>Food enough. Help danger. Friends family home death danger.</em>
</p><p>"Sounds serious." Yang stood up. "What do I need to do?"</p><p>Firefly flew away, beckoning for Yang to follow. They left the limits of the grove and walked for about a minute before they arrived at a rock wall. Firefly floated next to it and a little upwards, and Yang saw that the wall led up to a cliff overlooking the jungle and the sprite village nearby.</p><p><em>Danger top cliff</em>. Firefly started to rise along the wall.</p><p>"Wait! How am I supposed to get up there?" Yang said. "See, this is the part where me not being a bird is important. I can't fly or float like you."</p><p>Firefly looked down at her for a moment – <em>Dumb </em>– and continued on its way.</p><p>Yang pursed her lips. "You're lucky I'm such a generous soul."</p><p>She took a few steps away from the cliff, then sprinted towards it and jumped. The rocks were uneven enough that she could easily find hold for her hands and feet. Unless the wall was higher than she anticipated, she should have no problem climbing to the top.</p><p>As she reached the halfway point, Yang felt something on her face. It was such a startling sensation she had to take a hand off the wall and rub her cheek. Humidity. She looked up and noticed what appeared to be specks of water falling over the edge of the cliff and hanging in the air. Firefly had taken to the side, avoiding the direct trajectory of the water.</p><p>The humidity only grew as Yang neared the top. She heard rushing water, and the noise spurred her to move faster. She reached out one last time and pulled herself over the edge, and immediately stood up to look.</p><p>It was exactly what she thought. Water. A verifiable <em>river </em>of it. There was another cliff up ahead – now that she had a clearer view of it all, Yang realized she was standing at the base of a sprawling mountain range – with a cave entrance in the middle, from whence the water rushed forth powerfully. It splashed against the floor below and continued on a straight line for a while, before it came to pool on a shallow crater.</p><p>Steam rose from the water in great puffs and spread across the area. Yang enjoyed the feeling. This plane, though much preferable to the frozen plains she'd endured before, was still too dry for her liking. Firefly obviously felt different, immediately flying over to Yang and sheltering under her hair.</p><p>
  <em>Water! Water evil! Water stop!</em>
</p><p>Yang stopped basking in the vapor and raised her hands to shield Firefly from it. "Has this always been here?"</p><p>
  <em>Home no water. No belong.</em>
</p><p>"Well, it's bad, but it's not that big of a problem, right?" Yang said. "As long as no one comes up here, you'll be okay."</p><p>Firefly gestured at the pooling water and the edge of the cliff. <em>Water grow. Fall home. Trees die jungle die. Home die. Friends family die.</em></p><p>Yang looked at the pool. The water was far from reaching the edge itself, but with how much continued to flow in, it might do so in a day.</p><p>"Couldn't you move somewhere else?" she said.</p><p>Firefly lit up gently. <em>Home</em>.</p><p>"Okay," Yang said. "What can I do about this, then?"</p><p>
  <em>Water no hurt bird daughter. Close. Investigate. Stop?</em>
</p><p>Yang nodded. "I'll see what I can find out. You go somewhere safe and wait."</p><p>Firefly didn't need to be told twice, whisking off to float beyond the cliff's edge.</p><p>Yang walked towards the water, passing by the growing pool and following the river to the cave entrance. Getting in there would be tricky – she could climb in from the side, but at that point she'd have to find another way to follow the water to its source.</p><p>This climb was harder than the last. The stones were wet, and the steam made it hard to see. Yang nearly slipped and fell several times before she got inside the cave. Once there, she looked around for dry land to walk on, but the entirety of the tunnel was taken by the river. There were a few rocks which rose from the surface of the water, and though precarious, those seemed to be her only available options if she didn't want to continue climbing along the wall.</p><p>Yang took a moment to psych herself up, then launched away from the wall and towards the nearest rock. She landed clumsily, almost slipping off as she struggled to find her balance. The rock shook under her, but thankfully it held.</p><p>Yang slowly rose to her full height, holding her arms to the sides, and took a deep breath. "Bird daughter my ass," she grunted.</p><p>She jumped to the next closest rock, and then the next after that, and so on. She moved confidently, because she had to – one moment of hesitation and she would slip and crack her skull. She might do that regardless, but this way she would be trying her hardest not to, at least.</p><p>Just as Yang began to fear she was wasting her time and would never get to wherever this river started, she saw a shimmering light up ahead in the tunnel. She stopped to look after jumping on another rock. As best she could see through the steam, the shimmer seemed to come from a portal – or a window, like the one she'd crossed before. At the other side… water.</p><p>Lots of water.</p><p>"Water world." Yang rubbed her eyes. "Cool. So we're covering all our bases today."</p><p>So now she knew where the water was coming from. That didn't tell her how to stop it, though. It clearly wasn't going to run out any time soon. For all she knew it might overtake Firefly's whole world, given enough time. As long as the window remained, it posed a gigantic threat to all life on this side.</p><p>Maybe she could close it? She had no idea how to do that, but the least she could do was <em>try</em>.</p><p>Yang jumped to the next rock. The window was close, just a little more to go. She jumped again-</p><p>Her foot missed the top of the rock and slipped along the side of it instead. She reached out to grab on to something, anything, but it was useless – she hit the water, falling under the surface, and the sheer force of the stream rocketed her away. The back of her head collided against stone, and she went spiraling head-over-feet, unable to see or breathe, her skin boiling-</p><p>She came flying out the tunnel entrance, soaring over the river below, and hit the ground hard. Yang pushed herself to her hands and knees, spitting what felt like <em>gallons</em> all at once. Her skin was red all over, and it <em>stung</em>.</p><p>As she coughed and panted, a red light washed over Yang. She looked up and saw a portal hovering a few meters in front of her. Raven stepped out of it, an impassive expression breaking slightly as she looked around.</p><p>"Interesting," Raven said. She walked over to Yang, raising an eyebrow as she took in her miserable condition. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. And what sort of predicament have you-"</p><p>Yang rose to her feet and punched her across the face. Raven went reeling back, her feet actually leaving the ground for a second. She ground herself just short of falling off the cliff, and walked back to Yang, an angry glint in her eyes as she rubbed her jaw.</p><p>"That was childish," she said.</p><p>"You left me stranded in a snowstorm! I could have died!" Yang yelled, eyes bright red.</p><p>Raven paused, as if considering the remark. "Perhaps it wasn't entirely childish," she said. "But it was unnecessary. Are you going to punch me again?"</p><p>"I don't see a reason not to," Yang said, but consciously unclenched her fists and took a deep breath to calm herself.</p><p>Raven considered her for a moment, then looked over her shoulder at the river. The sight seemed to surprise her, but for only a second, as she quickly returned her attention to Yang.</p><p>"I remember leaving you to your test elsewhere," she said.</p><p>"So what? I found a window-thingy and walked through," Yang said. "Am I disqualified or something?"</p><p>"A window, you say," Raven said. "No, that was resourceful of you. You survived your twenty-four hours. Exactly how you did that doesn't concern me."</p><p>"I fought a four-armed yeti bare-handed. It ran away scared," Yang said. "Does that get me extra credit?"</p><p>Raven didn't look impressed. "Welcome to the tribe," she said. "We're going home now."</p><p>Raven turned around and started walking back to her portal. Yang didn't move, casting a look at Firefly, who was still hovering beyond the steam's reach.</p><p>"Not just yet," Yang said.</p><p>Raven stopped and turned to look at her. "Perhaps you hit your head sometime between our last meeting," she said. "I thought you'd be ecstatic to get back."</p><p>"There's something that I've gotta do first," Yang said. "All this water's coming from another world. If it continues like this, everywhere near here is gonna be flooded. The jungle's gonna be destroyed, and the fire sprites are gonna die."</p><p>Raven put a hand on her hip. "The <em>sprites </em>can move elsewhere."</p><p>"This is their home!" Yang exclaimed. "Whatever. I'm gonna fix this, and you're gonna help me."</p><p>"Am I, now?" Raven said.</p><p>"I'm not leaving until the sprites are safe."</p><p>Raven scowled, and for a moment Yang thought she might just leave without her.</p><p>"This is a waste of time," Raven said. "Need I remind you the reason you took the test in the first place? There are lives at stake in our world. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of human lives."</p><p>"And how is this any different? Just because the sprites are different than us doesn't mean their lives are worthless," Yang said.</p><p>"It's different because <em>they</em> can take care of <em>themselves</em>," Raven said.</p><p>"No. It's different because you'd actually something just because it's the right thing to do, for once," Yang said, "and not just to save your own hide."</p><p>Raven's eyes flared. She clenched her fists, then unclenched them, and turned away. "I used to think I knew everything, too."</p><p>"Looks to me like you still do," Yang said.</p><p>Raven shook her head and took a couple steps towards the river.</p><p>"You said this water is not from this world. Fine," she said. "Wait here. I'll take care of this."</p><p>She jumped, and in the blink of an eye, turned into a black-feathered raven, then flew over the water and entered the tunnel.</p><p>Yang blinked.</p><p>"<em>What.</em>"</p>
<hr/><p>Raven shifted back mid-flight and landed on a rock near the portal.</p><p>Closing a window such as this, the kind that occurred naturally, was a trivial task. The torrent that came out of this one disallowed her from coming any closer than she was now, however, and that made it a little harder.</p><p>Still trivial.</p><p>She extended her hands before her and closed her eyes, pushing her conscience through the veil until she found the signature feel of that world. It wasn't one she'd dared explore herself – she knew it likely wouldn't have gone well for her if she tried – but she had often visited worlds adjacent to it, so the signature wasn't unfamiliar to her.</p><p>She took hold of it, her fingers closing around empty air. That was ultimately unnecessary, yet helpful. She waited for the right moment when the veil pulsed, and clapped her hands.</p><p>The window closed. Cut off from its source, the remaining water flowed forth languidly, the tunnel slowly draining.</p>
<hr/><p>Yang had barely recovered when Raven returned, flying out of the tunnel in bird form and dropping in front of her, human once again.</p><p>"It's done," Raven said. "Shall we go now, Your Highness?"</p><p>Yang stared at her, slack-jawed. "You just turned into a bird."</p><p>"Did I?" Raven said, dusting off her clothes. "Funny. That must have escaped my notice."</p><p>"You did. <em>How</em>?" Yang asked. "It's not part your Semblance, right? Is it one of those weird artifacts of yours?"</p><p>"It's a long story. You should ask your uncle about it sometime," Raven said. "While you're at it, ask him for a demonstration as well."</p><p>"Wait, you don't mean…"</p><p>Raven didn't reply. The portal she'd come through was still there, and she seemed quite interested in going back.</p><p>
  <em>Water stop!</em>
</p><p>Firefly appeared next to Yang, flitting up and down. It still seemed nervous about the steam, but with the water much calmer now, its excitement was showing.</p><p>"You and the others should be safe now, buddy," Yang said. "The water is probably gonna evaporate on its own, right?"</p><p>
  <em>Water leave. Thank bird daughter!</em>
</p><p>Yang shrugged. "Just repaying your kindness."</p><p>Firefly flew to her cheek and pressed itself against it for an instant. The sensation was strangely close to that of a kiss. Firefly then flew over to Raven and did the same to her.</p><p>
  <em>Thank bird mother!</em>
</p><p>Raven cleared her throat and waved a hand half-heartedly, as if to shoosh it away. "Yes. You're very welcome."</p><p>
  <em>Tell friends family. Goodbye?</em>
</p><p>"Yeah… I guess that's goodbye for us," Yang said. "It was good meeting you, Firefly. Maybe we'll see each other again someday?"</p><p>
  <em>See again. Goodbye!</em>
</p><p>Firefly flew away quickly, stopping for a second to look back at Yang, then went over the cliff and disappeared.</p><p>"You named one of them?" Raven asked dryly.</p><p>"He said I could if I wanted," Yang said. She looked at her mother, and suddenly a lot of things clicked in her head. "Wait… <em>Bird mother</em>. Did you meet Firefly and the other sprites before? You didn't even act surprised when I mentioned them earlier."</p><p>"Those <em>sprites</em>, as you call them, are strange creatures. I wouldn't put much thought in your interactions with that sort," Raven said. "We're going."</p><p>She walked to the portal.</p><p>"Wait wait wait. How did you even find me here? You just popped out like you expected me to be there," Yang said, raising a hand. "Are you – what did you say before – are you <em>bonded </em>to me? When did that happen?"</p><p>"If you don't come out in a minute, I'm closing the portal behind me," Raven said, and stepped through the portal.</p><p>"Oh, okay. Just leave me hanging like that," Yang said. "<em>That's </em>not a childish thing to do."</p><p>Grumbling under her breath, she followed Raven through, back to Remnant.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>#SlurpUpThoseAntennas</p><p>(yes I know it should be antennae but Yang doesn't care)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Family Business</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang came out of the portal into a room she didn't recognize. It was a tight space, with no windows and only a single door behind her, which appeared to be locked. Raven was already there, as were Qrow and Vernal, and they stood beside a metal bed with someone lying on it.</p><p>Or rather, a <em>body</em>.</p><p>"Yang!" Qrow took his eyes off the body and came to shake her by the shoulder. "You're here. With all arms and legs. Good, I guess." He stepped back and crossed his arms. "I swear you're the most boneheaded kid I've ever known - and I've known myself. What were you <em>thinking</em>?"</p><p>"What? I told you I was going to talk with Raven," Yang said. "How was I supposed to know she was gonna send me on a magical death-journey?"</p><p>"I guess you couldn't have known," Qrow said, rubbing the corners of his eyes. "But you could afford to use a little more common sense every once a in while."</p><p>Yang grinned. "I learn by example." She glanced at Raven and Vernal, then leaned towards Qrow and whispered, "I have so many questions."</p><p>"I figured you would." Qrow looked her up and down, blinking slowly with a furrowed brow, like she was some sort of alien creature. After a moment, he shook his head and looked her in the eye again. "Did your mother dunk you in a pool or something?"</p><p>"Huh?" Yang looked down and realized she was still soaking wet from having fallen into the river. "Oh, man. I could explain, but it's a lot. Fairies and stuff."</p><p>Qrow snorted. "It's good to have you back, Firecracker."</p><p>Raven cleared her throat from the other side of the room.</p><p>"If you two could pause the family reunion," she said. "We have business."</p><p>Qrow walked back over to the bed, and Yang followed. She looked at the body and frowned. It belonged to an adult man, dark hair and reddish skin. The cause of his death couldn't be more obvious – there was a hole above his left eyebrow where a bullet had passed clean through.</p><p>Yang swallowed dry, and looked at Raven. "I'm guessing we're in one of your Haven hideouts?"</p><p>"You've got the right idea," Raven said off-handedly as she studied the body.</p><p>Vernal lifted her chin proudly. "The Branwen tribe hides from no one."</p><p>"Um-hum. And I feel so cool now that I'm part of the club," Yang said. "So, anyone care to tell me why we're staring at a dead guy? Who is he?"</p><p>"One of Shay's men," Raven said.</p><p>"You mean the guy that screwed you over?" Yang asked.</p><p>Raven scowled at her. "Precisely. He sent this one and a few others to sell the crystal. Must have struck a deal with another city gang," she said. "This is how Vernal found him, alongside a dozen more good-for-nothing thugs."</p><p>Yang wanted to point out the irony of Raven calling other people thugs, but she figured that wouldn't lead to anything productive.</p><p>"So there's even more dead people? How did that happen?" Yang said.</p><p>"Deal went south. One side tried to pull some sneaky shit on the other. Both sides did, probably," Vernal said. "That's how it always goes."</p><p>"Well, <em>this</em> poor fellow died from a gunshot. Something else happened to the rest of 'em," Qrow said. "You said you didn't find the crystal, right?"</p><p>"I searched every inch of that place," Vernal said, bristling. "You want me to take you there so you can see for yourself?"</p><p>"No, I'm just saying what we're all thinking," Qrow said. "Someone got hold of the crystal during the deal. Maybe they were with the ones selling, maybe the ones buying. Things went the way they go-" He nodded at Vernal. "-and that someone got a good dose of murder demon down their throat. And then…"</p><p>He made a slashing motion over his neck, then stuck out of his tongue and lolled his head to the side.</p><p>"Yes, thank you for the vivid imagery, brother," Raven said dryly. "That's not a great revelation. We reached that conclusion days ago."</p><p>"Forgive me for being thorough," Qrow said. "If it'll make you any happy, I looked at the rest of the bodies while you went to fetch Yang. I'm pretty sure the other guys were Malachite Spiders."</p><p>Yang saw Vernal stiffen, her eyes darting to Raven and then away as she grabbed the edge of the table.</p><p>"The Spiders," Raven said, dragging out the name as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "You're sure about that?"</p><p>"As sure as I can be without speaking to the dead," Qrow said. "It makes sense, right? Malachite's always been interested in getting in on your business, hasn't she?"</p><p>"That, she has," Raven said. "I suppose she saw her chance and took it."</p><p>"Someone remind me, who are these Spider folks again?" Yang asked.</p><p>"The Malachite Spiders. Just the biggest underground crime gang in the entirety of Mistral," Qrow said. "Their boss calls herself Lil' Miss Malachite. Not a nice lady."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, I totally knew that," Yang said. "Are we going to kick her ass?"</p><p>"We'll see about that. First, we'll talk to her," Qrow said. He looked at Raven. "If that's a-okay with you, Sis. Wouldn't wanna step on your toes."</p><p>"It's a lead," Raven said. "I suppose you know where to find her these days?"</p><p>"Sure. We're the best of buddies, obviously," Qrow said.</p><p>"Good for you. We'll take the car, then," Raven said. "Vernal?"</p><p>Vernal looked up and nodded. "Yes, Raven. I'll bring it around to the front."</p><p>She walked out of the room. Raven followed her with her eyes, then shook her head almost imperceptibly and grabbed a tarp to cover the body with.</p><p>"Before we go," Yang said, raising a hand. "Can I get, like, some dry clothes? And a towel." She paused. "And maybe a hair dryer, if you've got one laying around."</p><p>Raven looked at her and sighed. "Qrow, get your sidekick what she wants, will you?"</p><p>Yang scoffed. "I'm not his sidekick."</p><p>"Yeah," Qrow said. "She's just some weird kid who keeps following me around. Starting to worry she's, you know…" He spun his finger around his ear. "…unstable."</p><p>"Your <em>face</em> is gonna be unstable after I – hey!"</p><p>Qrow grabbed her by the back of her neck and dragged her away.</p><p>"Always gotta be about the face with you, huh?"</p><hr/><p>Sitting in the back seat of the car, Yang couldn't remember going through a more awkward, and simultaneously terrifying experience.</p><p>Vernal's daredevil driving was only exacerbated by Haven's busy traffic. Yang had lost count of how many times they'd narrowly avoided crashing against another car, and the worst part was, every time it happened, Vernal would stick her head out the window and shout at the other driver as if it was <em>their </em>fault.</p><p>Raven sat shotgun, her sword on her lap, looking bored out of her mind as she stared out the window. It was almost impressive, if not a bit disturbing. And Qrow sat beside Yang, sprawled out with a new flask in his hands. Yang assumed he'd gotten it while she'd been gone.</p><p>"Honk at me again, asshole!" Vernal shouted out the window. "I'll turn this car around and shove – yeah do the world a favor and hide your face! Even your mother couldn't love that!"</p><p>She moved the car forward again, and it lurched and jumped precariously as it went.</p><p>"Goddamn pile of trash." Vernal slammed her hands on the wheel. "What incompetent ass built this thing?"</p><p>Raven turned her head to look at her. "Perhaps relax on the gas every once in a while," she said placidly, and returned to staring at the sky.</p><p>"I am relaxing," Vernal grumbled. "I'm the most relaxed motherfucker in this town."</p><p>Yang breathed deeply as an awkward silence set in once again.</p><p>"So. Uncle Qrow," she said. "I was meaning to ask you something, but I'm not sure how to."</p><p>Qrow lowered his flask from his lips. "Shoot."</p><p>"Okay." Yang sucked in air through her teeth. "Can you turn into a bird?"</p><p>Qrow stared at her, blinking slowly. He took a big gulp from his flask, then corked it and sat up straight.</p><p>"You tell her, Raven?" he said.</p><p>"She's here, she's involved. I see no point in hiding our magic from her," Raven said. "But no, I didn't tell her much of anything. I figured I'd leave that up to you. You did always have a fondness for telling stories."</p><p>"You know me so well," Qrow said dryly.</p><p>"So you <em>can </em>turn into a bird. Both of you can," Yang said. "You're saying you're magic or something?"</p><p>"We weren't always. Travelling across planes like we used to do, you tend to pick up a few changes along the way," Qrow said. "Some advice – if you end up venturing beyond Remnant again, avoid picking up strange red orbs with your bare hands."</p><p>"I don't think Yang needs such advice, brother," Raven said. "She seems to have a good head on her shoulders, for the most part. I doubt she'd ever do something so colossally idiotic."</p><p>Qrow threw his hands up. "<em>You </em>told me to pick up the orb!"</p><p>"Did I? I don't remember it that way," Raven said. "But maybe that's how it happened. You've always been quick to do what you're told, after all."</p><p>"Act smug all you want. You touched it right after," Qrow said. He looked at Yang. "We stayed like birds for hours afterward, we couldn't figure out how to turn back. It was a pretty traumatic experience, to be honest. After all this time, you can still see the effects it had on your mother's brain."</p><p>"Right. Cool story," Yang said. "Is that a thing that happened often, you two getting, uh… magicked up by weird otherworldly stuff?"</p><p>"That was the worst that happened. We were more careful after that," Qrow said. "But magic always has an effect on you, even just by you being around it. The longer you stay out there, the more attuned to it you become. The more it clings to you, too. You can't see it, but Raven practically exudes magic all the time."</p><p>Yang looked at Raven, and though it was difficult to make out with how unruly the car was moving, she could see the air almost shimmering around her.</p><p>"Nope, I can see it alright," Yang said.</p><p>Qrow frowned. "You shouldn't be able to. You weren't out there for more than a day."</p><p>"Maybe I'm special," Yang said. "I <em>am</em> a fire child, after all. Whatever that means."</p><p>"Huh." Qrow looked at the back of Raven's head for a moment, and shrugged. "Got no clue either. But good for you, kiddo."</p><p>Vernal swerved suddenly, and Yang nearly slammed her head against the window.</p><p>"So, follow-up question," Yang said. "Is it a coincidence that you can turn into birds and your names are… you know."</p><p>"There are no coincidences when it comes to magic," Raven said.</p><p>"It's funny you say that, though," Qrow said. "Some people choose to change their names when they join the tribe. Like Raven's boy, Shay."</p><p>Raven grimaced.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Well, from what I heard, he used to go by Michael D. Mann." Qrow grinned. "But then he changed his first name to Shay."</p><p>"Wait… Shay D. Mann?" Yang leaned back, beaming. "Shay D. Mann! And you trustedthat guy?"</p><p>"I never <em>trusted </em>him," Raven said. "He had his uses, that is all. I never liked him."</p><p>"Sure, but you kept him around," Yang said. "Maybe Qrow's right and your brain is part bird all the time!"</p><p>She laughed and clapped her hands, and Qrow joined her, raising his flask in celebration. Even Vernal couldn't hide a snicker.</p><p>"Yes, laugh it up," Raven said, her face bright red. "I'll fly the rest of the way, thank you very much."</p><p>She opened her window and turned into a bird. She hopped in her seat for a moment, throwing a raven-glare at Yang and Qrow on the back, then flew out of the car and took to the skies.</p><p>"Heh." Qrow took a swig. "She still can't take a joke."</p><p>"Do you think she eats worms and insects?" Yang said.</p><p>"Oh, <em>for sure</em>."</p><hr/><p>"You're sure this is the place?" Yang said. She closed the car door and looked at the bar in front of her. "Doesn't look like an ultra-secret criminal hideout."</p><p>"That's the point," Qrow said, stopping beside her. "Nice establishment in a nice district. Who'd guess to look, right?"</p><p>"You, apparently," Yang said.</p><p>Qrow shrugged. "I know my way around."</p><p>Raven swooped down from the sky, her feathers shimmering as she shifted mid-flight. She bent her knees as she touched the sidewalk, landing right next to a man who just happened to be walking by. He stopped in his tracks, mouth hanging open as he stared at her.</p><p>"What?" she said, looking him straight in the eyes. The man closed his mouth and scurried away, nearly tripping over himself as he looked over his shoulder at her.</p><p>Raven walked past Yang and Qrow and leaned to look inside the car. Vernal hadn't gotten out yet, one hand on the keys in the ignition, the other grasping the wheel tightly.</p><p>"Wait for us here," Raven said.</p><p>Vernal frowned. "I should come with you."</p><p>"No. You keep the car running, in case we need to leave fast," Raven said. "We won't be long."</p><p>Surprisingly, Vernal gave no objection. Raven nodded and joined Yang and Qrow.</p><p>"Maybe you should wait in the car too," Qrow said. "At least leave the sword?"</p><p>Raven didn't dignify him with a response, going ahead and entering the bar. Qrow sighed. Yang shrugged at him and followed.</p><p>The interior of the place caught Yang by surprise even more than its frontside appearance did. It wasn't spacious, but it had room enough for a dozen or so clients to sit comfortably across four tables, and for a dozen more to sit at the bar itself. The only source of lighting came from a huge chandelier which hung from the center of the ceiling, not too bright but not too dim. The ceramic floor was so clean Yang could see her reflection on it as if she were staring at a brand-new mirror.</p><p>Yang had to admit, although this wasn't her particular flavor of establishment – she liked some space to dance with a stranger, and a private corner to maybe drag them off to later – she was impressed. She wondered if this was all to better serve as a front, or if this Miss Malachite actually cared about this aspect of her business.</p><p>"Follow my lead," Qrow said, and took a seat at the bar. Yang sat to his right, and a moment later Raven sat beside her.</p><p>There was a man behind the counter, his back turned to them as he cleaned a row of glasses with a rag. He turned after a while, and his expression soured when he saw them sitting there, Qrow specifically.</p><p>"Oh, great," he said. "It's you again."</p><p>"In the flesh!" Qrow said, spreading his arms. "And is that any way to talk to an old buddy?"</p><p>"We are not buddies. In fact, I barely know you, except that you're a pain in my ass every time you come here," the bartender said. He looked at Yang and Raven, his eyes narrowing when he saw the latter's sword on her waist. "Who's the ladies?"</p><p>"Workmates," Qrow said. He put his hand down on the bar. "Let's get straight to the point. I wanna speak to the boss."</p><p>"I <em>am </em>the boss," the bartender said steely.</p><p>"Of course you are," Qrow said. "Do I need to show you my badge?"</p><p>The bartender tossed his rag behind him and leaned on the bar, scowling at Qrow.</p><p>"The boss' not taking visitors at the moment," he said. "You can come back later."</p><p>"This isn't a come back later type of deal. I need to speak to her now, and I'm not leaving until I've done that," Qrow said. "And word of advice – turning away a Beacon agent? Pointless. And extremely unwise."</p><p>"Yeah, well, that's what I'm doing. What're you gonna do about it?" The bartender shrugged. "Door's that way."</p><p>He turned back to the glasses and started wiping again. Qrow shifted his weight on his stool, leaning back and crackling his knuckles. Yang watched with guilty excitement – things were about to get good, and she was absolutely going to help.</p><p>"You said Malachite's not taking visitors," Qrow said, resting his chin on his hands. "Must be some type of situation going on. Maybe related to a half-dozen missing friends of her?"</p><p>The bartender's shoulders tensed. He looked back at Qrow. "What do you know?"</p><p>"A lot. All things that should interest your boss greatly," Qrow said. "So why don't you go tell her I'm here, and then she can decide for herself if she wants to talk."</p><p>The bartender stared at him, still hesitant, though that seemed to come from a place of fear more than anger now. "She's not taking visitors."</p><p>Qrow started to speak again, but Raven cut him short.</p><p>"Tell him Raven Branwen's here to see her too."</p><p>The bartender looked from her to Qrow, then sighed and walked away, taking a door at the opposite end of the entrance.</p><p>"Aw, man." Yang deflated. "I thought we were gonna have a bar brawl. Make him listen to us with our fists, that kinda deal."</p><p>"Let this serve as a lesson," Qrow said, joining his hands sagely, "that patience is always the better alternati-"</p><p>One of his stool's legs snapped in half, and in an instant the whole thing fell to the floor in pieces, with him in the middle. He looked up at Yang, a little embarrassed, and <em>deeply </em>frustrated.</p><p>"Yeah, sure. <em>Thank you</em>," he said to no one in particular, grabbing another stool and planting it fiercely at his previous spot. "Just great. Probably overdue at this point."</p><p>"You're right," Raven said, a shit-eating grin on her face. "That <em>was </em>great."</p><p>Qrow sat down, and Yang patted him on the back. He probably didn't appreciate the pity, but she could see how awful he felt.</p><p>"And you," Qrow said, looking at Raven. "He was going to do what I said. I didn't need you to step in."</p><p>"You're probably right. But it helped seal the deal," Raven said. "And this is bigger than our prides. Correct?"</p><p>She chuckled, and Qrow huffed and leaned over the counter, grabbing a clean glass. He felt around until he found a bottle of whiskey, and quickly poured to the glass's capacity.</p><p>"Want some, kid?" Qrow said.</p><p>"I think I'm good," Yang said. "Thanks for the offer, though."</p><p>Raven leaned her elbow on the bar and stared at Qrow, her grin shrinking, but the derision in her eyes stayed. "No wonder you're familiar with the place."</p><p>Qrow stared at his glass for a moment, his shoulders sagged, before he leaned back and downed half the glass in one gulp. Raven scoffed.</p><p>Yang clenched her fists. "Hey, here's an idea." She rounded on Raven. "How about you <em>cool it </em>with the snide comments for a minute?"</p><p>"What, you're going to defend him?" Raven said. "Maybe you can't see it. He's a <em>drunk</em>."</p><p>"I can see him, alright. And I don't care what he is or what he does, 'cause you know what, he's been here. He's <em>always </em>been here," Yang said. "So shut up. I don't need to hear you judging anyone. Got it?"</p><p>Raven sat up straight, her eyes boring into Yang's without blinking. A storm brewed in them, begging to be unleashed. Her hands trembled on the counter.</p><p>The moment seemed to last a lifetime, and then Raven turned away, back to her air of indifference. She waited, her eyes set forward, as if nothing had happened.</p><p>Yang drew in a sharp breath. Her heart was racing, and her ears felt like they had been set on fire. She didn't know where that had come from – well, that was a lie, she knew <em>exactly </em>where that had come from – but she hadn't planned for it come out that way. Or at all.</p><p>She felt a touch on her arm, and turned to look. Qrow nodded at her, an unspoken thank you and an apology in his eyes, and slid his unfinished glass well away from where they sat. Yang smiled, but it was shaky at best.</p><p>The bartender chose that moment to come back, and somehow, he looked even more nervous. "Miss Malachite will see you now."</p><p>Qrow hit the bar with his hands. "Amazing." He briefly checked his stool, then hopped off.</p><p>They followed the bartender through the same door he'd taken before, which led into a hallway considerably less fancy than the business-side of the building. Yang turned her nose at the musky smell, and made a point of staying clear from the walls, which was easier said than done, with how narrow they were.</p><p>As they walked, another person passed them, going the way they came. Yang had to rub her eyes and give another look as they walked past – maybe they just <em>looked </em>young, but Yang could swear they were twelve <em>at most</em>. And yet they walked like what she expected a city gangster to walk like, and they were dressed like one, with the chains and the purple bandana and everything. It was almost stereotypical.</p><p>"This way," the bartender said, opening a door at the end of the hallway. He looked at Raven's sword, as if pondering whether to ask to take it from her. He seemed to reach a pretty strong conclusion, as he drew out of the way and gestured at the doorway, clearing his throat.</p><p>The room they entered was dusty, and aside from a collection of purple banners hung across the walls and a single wooden desk in the middle with two chairs, it was bare. A woman sat behind the desk, short and rotund and with blonde hair cut in a bob. She was far from Yang's image of a crime lord, but the cold look on her face as they entered dispelled any doubts of who and what she was.</p><p>But Malachite didn't hold Yang's attention for long. She was drawn instead to the woman's bodyguards. There were four of them, one on each corner of the room. They watched silently, arms dutifully on their sides, just inches from the guns on their belts.</p><p>And they were all kids.</p><p>Yang rolled her shoulders, forcing herself to look away. The idea behind all of this, she imagined, was for her to feel threatened. Yet all she could think about was how weird and disturbing it all was.</p><p>"Agent Branwen!" Malachite clapped her hands. "Here once again. You're a persistent little bugger, aren't you?"</p><p>Qrow cast a look at her bodyguards, and then at the Miss herself. "So I am."</p><p>"Well, I'm afraid we'll come to the same conclusion we always do. My little Spiders are all quite happy and healthy, and they'll be quite willing to tell you so in private. You're simply barking up the wrong tree," Malachite said, showing her perfect white teeth with a smile. "But I will happily point you to the right trees, if you so wish."</p><p>"That's not what I'm here for. Not this time," Qrow said, and pulled back the other chair to sit across from her. "I think you know why I'm here."</p><p>"I hope I do," Malachite said, her eyes narrowing. "I'm afraid I've got a bit of a situation going on as of late. A few of my precious Spiders have gone missing, and for the life of me, I cannot find them anywhere. You wouldn't happen to know what happened to them, Agent Branwen?"</p><p>"They're dead," Qrow said.</p><p>"Oh. That is a shame." Malachite sighed and shook her head. "And you know that how…?"</p><p>"They were conducting a deal with another gang, and things went south," Qrow said. "Really south. All those involved are dead."</p><p>"Oh my. That's quite upsetting. Though I have some objections. First, I don't know about the other side, but it is quite erroneous, not to mention rude, to call us a… a <em>gang</em>! My Spiders and I are a family, and a closely-knit one at that," Malachite said. "And second. A deal, you say? That doesn't sound like something <em>my</em> Spiders would do. But I suppose I have no choice but to trust your word. You <em>are </em>an honorable agent of the law, after all."</p><p>Yang had never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly – and she had wanted to punch <em>a lot </em>of people in the face before. Thankfully, she managed to keep herself in check. It helped that Qrow seemed to be barely containing his frustration as well.</p><p>"Play the part if you must," Qrow said. "I've got a dozen dead street gangsters to deal with. So if you could help with that at least, that'd be great."</p><p>Malachite interlaced her fingers atop the desk. "And how do you imagine I could help you?"</p><p>"Something happened during that deal, and I'm trying to find out what exactly," Qrow said. "The item your Spiders were trying to acquire, it wasn't just any normal item. It's the reason why they're all dead, and now it's missing. It's in everyone's best interests that I find it quickly."</p><p>"I see… So this <em>item </em>got a dozen people killed, just like that." Malachite hummed. "I suppose that's why <em>you're </em>here."</p><p>She looked at Raven, and Yang balked at the look on her mother's face. She thought <em>she </em>was angry with Malachite, but compared to Raven that was nothing. Raven didn't show it in her face, of course, but it was alarmingly clear in the way she met the gangster's stare, and how her hand had come to rest on the handle of her sword.</p><p>Maybe the bartender should have taken it away, after all.</p><p>"I never thought I'd see the day Raven Branwen came to see me again," Malachite said. "How long has it been? Ten, fifteen years?"</p><p>"Not long enough," Raven said tersely.</p><p>"Right. Because – what was it you said last time - you're too good to do business with the likes of me?" Malachite scoffed. "Gone are the days when you'd come begging me to buy scraps off of you. How quickly we forget. Got an in with the high-class folks and now kind Lil' Miss Malachite is as good as dead to her." She shook her head. "You know I could pay just as much as they do, right? Double, even."</p><p>"I like my business partners reliable," Raven said. "Now, can we cut the bullshit? Do you have the crystal or not?"</p><p>"Crystal?" Malachite said. "No, I'm sorry to inform you, but I have no such thing in my possession." She pulled on her sleeve, throwing Qrow an askew look. "And no, I'm not being coy when I say that. Not that I <em>ever </em>am coy with you, Agent."</p><p>Raven sighed. "Great. So this was a waste of time." She turned away. "Let's go."</p><p>"Now wait just a second." Malachite raised a hand. "You said all those involved are dead. That's not exactly true." She looked at one of her bodyguards and nodded. "Fetch him for me, dear."</p><p>The bodyguard exited the room in a hurry. As the door closed and silence fell, Malachite leaned on the desk and looked at Yang.</p><p>"And you…" She pursed her lips. "I think I recognize you from somewhere. But I'm positive we haven't met."</p><p>Yang crossed her arms. "I'm the newspaper gal."</p><p>Malachite smiled. "Oh, I like that. And I think I remember now. You're one of those Huntresses that's on the news every other week, aren't you? That was some excellent work you did in Vale, by the way." She looked her up and down. "It's never too late to change careers, you know."</p><p>"I think Yang's quite happy doing what she does," Qrow said steely.</p><p>"It never hurts to try new experiences," Malachite said.</p><p>"Malachite."</p><p>The sound of Raven's sword sliding a couple inches from its scabbard filled the room.</p><p>"My brother wouldn't be nearly fast enough."</p><p>Malachite paled. "Well." She shifted in her seat. "That's bold of you."</p><p>"Very," Qrow said, but made no signal that he disagreed with Raven.</p><p>Malachite raised her hands amicably, and said nothing more. Raven sheathed her sword.</p><p>Yang looked at Raven, hopelessly confused. <em>What the hell is up with you? Do you actually like me or do you not?</em></p><p>The door opened, and the bodyguard returned with another kid in tow, a boy that Yang thought might be thirteen or fourteen. He looked just short of terrified, and Yang couldn't tell if it was because of Malachite, her visitors, or something else – or all of the above.</p><p>"Miss," he said, bowing his head to Malachite.</p><p>"This precious, naughty little Spider showed up at my doorstep three days ago, looking like a ghost." Malachite gestured at Qrow. "Tell the good Agent what you told me."</p><p>The boy turned to face Qrow and swallowed. "Uhm… Me, and a few others, we snuck off to do a deal with some people. We were gonna buy a crystal-thing from them, Miss said- we thought it was magical or something."</p><p>"Mhmm." Qrow leaned forward. "What else, kid?"</p><p>"We were doing the deal, and one of the other guys pulled a gun on us. So we pulled our guns too – 'cause we carry them for self-protection," the boy said. "I'm not sure how but I think one of them got killed. And then another person showed up."</p><p>"Another person?" Qrow said.</p><p>"Yeah. Was a woman, your age kinda. She had a gun too, but it was one of those fancy Dust-powered ones, and she told everyone to drop theirs, and the crystal too," the boy said. "So we did, except one of the other guys tried shooting her when she took the crystal. And then… I don't know what happened after, really. She just went crazy and started killing people with just her hands - tore through them like they were paper."</p><p>He shuddered.</p><p>"I only got away 'cause I tried to run and I fell and hit my head." He pulled up the hair from his forehead, showing a sewed-up cut, the skin around it a purplish hue. "I think she thought I was dead already. Soon as I woke up, I came to see Lil' Miss Malachite and she stitched me up."</p><p>His story apparently finished, he bowed his head and went quiet.</p><p>"Sorry you had to go through that, kid," Qrow said. "You're not in trouble. But the woman that showed up, was she a policewoman?"</p><p>"I don't think so," the boy said. "I think she was one of your type, actually."</p><p>"An Agent," Qrow said. "Did she give you a name before it all went down? If she was intervening, she had to have identified herself. Can you remember?"</p><p>"Uhm…" The boy looked at Malachite, and she nodded. "Agent Simons or something? Sanders? I don't know."</p><p>"Shields? Agent Shields?" Qrow said.</p><p>"Yes! That's what she said."</p><p>Qrow pulled back, grimacing.</p><p>"What, do you know her?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Yeah. Heather Shields, met her a few times over the years. She's stationed in the city," Qrow said. "Good Agent, that one."</p><p>He sighed and stood up.</p><p>"If she left the scene with the crystal – possibly possessed by it – we need to find her and we need it to have done it yesterday," Qrow said. "Good news is, Beacon can help with that. I can get an address, and I can pass by the Haven headquarters to see if she's there too."</p><p>They started to leave, but Malachite cleared her throat.</p><p>"Now, now. What about my missing Spiders?" she said. "If they're dead as you say they are and you've found them, I can only assume you have their bodies. And I'd really appreciate having them back, to bury them, and inform their families."</p><p>"Seriously?" Yang turned around. "Like you care. You just wanna hide the evidence or something, you balloon-shaped hag!"</p><p>Malachite gasped, and her bodyguards reached for their guns. Qrow put a hand on Yang's arm.</p><p>"Now, Yang," he said. "I think it's only fair that we do what she asks. We have few options and I don't think we have the luxury of picking and choosing the best one right now."</p><p>Yang pursed her lips. She supposed there was little difference in who had the bodies – she didn't know Raven's intentions, but she doubted it was anything particularly respectful. And it was too late for those kids, anyway.</p><p>"Fine," Yang said.</p><p>"Raven, you can make the arrangements," Qrow said. "Unless you wanna accompany me to Beacon."</p><p>Raven huffed. "I'll see to it."</p><p>"Excellent." Malachite smiled widely. "From one family to another – it was a pleasure doing business with you."</p><hr/><p>Maybe Yang had been too fast in calling the last ride the most awkward she'd ever had. At least then she'd had Qrow to talk with, and to a lesser extent Raven. Being alone with Vernal was… an experience.</p><p>Fortunately, Vernal was driving like a sane person this time, and that seemed to be because her mind was somewhere else. The only time she'd spoken since Yang got in the car had been to confirm the address Qrow had given them.</p><p>Yang couldn't blame her for being quiet. She too was absorbed in her own thoughts. Thoughts of what <em>exactly</em> had happened between Qrow and Raven for them to be so hostile with each other; of why Raven seemed to welcome her presence one moment and then pretend she wasn't there the next; of what the hell was happening inside that bar back there.</p><p>Maybe she could get some non-complicated answers to that last question, at least.</p><p>"Hey," she said, turning to look at Vernal. "You know what's up with that Malachite woman?"</p><p>Vernal blinked and glanced at her. "Depends on what you mean 'what's up'."</p><p>"Like, she had a bunch of kids working for her," Yang said. "I'm not crazy, am I? Those were all kids, and they were <em>way </em>too young to be working at all, let alone for a gangster like her."</p><p>"I don't think organized crime cares about child labor laws," Vernal said. She turned a corner, and Yang thought that was it for the conversation, but then, "You're not crazy."</p><p>"I guess that's a good thing," Yang said. "But if she's doing that, why does nobody stop her? This is <em>kids </em>we're talking about."</p><p>"They didn't teach you much about Mistral where you came from, did they?" Vernal asked.</p><p>"They taught me a hell of a lot more than I ever wanted to know, trust me," Yang said.</p><p>Vernal snorted. "I'm sure they did, kid," she said. "Mistral's got a youth problem since I don't know when. We have orphan and homeless kids to fill a city. And lots of these kids end up working for people like Malachite, because that's what they gotta do to survive."</p><p>"That can't be right," Yang said. "How can that be a thing?"</p><p>"That's just how it is. Different cultures, different realities," Vernal said. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."</p><p>Vernal was right, Yang couldn't understand. She didn't care if Mistral had a different culture, how could that many people care so little about what children went through that they'd let that sort of thing go on and not try and stop it?</p><p>Though that certainly put some things in perspective. Like what Qrow had said about him and Raven surviving on the streets as kids. And – hell – it even made Pyrrha's questionable childhood make a lot more sense.</p><p>"Still," Yang said. "Someone should kick that woman's ass. I'd be happy to be the one to do it."</p><p>"Go ahead. But remove Malachite, and someone else will swoop in and take in those kids. Maybe someone even worse," Vernal said. "Malachite's just the biggest one, for now…"</p><p>She tapped the steering wheel with her fingers and shook her head.</p><p>"Wait," Yang said. "You used to run with those guys when you were a kid. Didn't you?"</p><p>Vernal didn't reply, but her silence spoke volumes.</p><p>"You did," Yang said. "That's why Raven told you to wait outside. She wanted to keep you away from Malachite."</p><p>Vernal still didn't speak, her eyes focused on the road with scary intensity.</p><p>"When did you join Raven?" Yang asked. "Did you change your name? And why <em>Vernal</em>?"</p><p>"<em>Look</em>," Vernal said. "I don't know what you're trying here, but we are not friends. I'm <em>never</em> going to be your friend. I don't know why Raven is keeping you around when all you do is ask incessant questions and waste everyone else's time, but I'm respecting her wishes. So respect mine and <em>leave me the hell alone</em>."</p><p>Yang sank in her seat.</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>They were silent for the rest of the ride.</p><hr/><p>Yang couldn't knock on the door.</p><p>She turned and skipped down the steps, leaning on her knees as she breathed in and out shakily. <em>This </em>had not been in her plans for today. Or ever. She'd rather get tossed into another plane again.</p><p>She met eyes with Vernal, still sat behind the wheel inside the car. Vernal raised an eyebrow, as if asking if she ought to come out and do it herself, and that steeled Yang's resolve. Though Vernal could probably get the job done without freaking out, Yang doubted she had the sensitivity to do it well.</p><p>Yang nodded and turned back around. She went up the steps to the porch and lingered in front of the door before finally, she managed to knock on it.</p><p>The door opened surprisingly fast, and Yang was met with the face of a man a little younger than Qrow, brown haired and stout. He had dark bags under his eyes, vestiges of a night badly slept, and as he looked at Yang his expression seemed to darken.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Hi. I'm… I'm Yang Xiao Long," she said. She wasn't sure how this was supposed to go, but introducing herself was only polite. "Are you Heather Shields' husband?"</p><p>"I am." He stepped forward eagerly. "Have you seen her?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, I haven't. I'm actually looking for her," Yang said. "She's not home, is she?"</p><p>His expression closed. He looked at the door, as if pondering closing it, and Yang raised a hand.</p><p>"Like I said, I'm looking for her. I'm actually working with Beacon," Yang said. "If we could talk, there might be something you can tell me that might help us track her down."</p><p>He looked at her, desponded. "I've called Beacon already," he said. "But if you think it might help. Come inside."</p><p>She walked into the house. It was a small but cozy place. The living room had a couch with a tea table before it – with a cold kettle on top of it currently – and that was where the husband told Yang to sit. One of the walls was a paper divider, and through it Yang could see a miniature garden. There was a kitchen area as well, and to the side of that, a hallway with three doors.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," the husband said, sitting across from Yang in a wooden chair. "Brian."</p><p>"Shields?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Yes." He smiled somberly. "I actually took her name when we married."</p><p>"Oh, is that a custom here? My… My mother is from Mistral, but I grew up in Vale, so I'm not very familiar," Yang said.</p><p>"No, it's still uncommon here. If anything it's more common for both spouses to keep their family names, or merge them," Brian said. "But Heather insisted I adopt her family name, and I was happy to oblige."</p><p>"That's cool," Yang said. She blinked. "I mean, uh… She sounds like a very special person."</p><p>Brian nodded. "Do you have any idea where she is?"</p><p>Yang shook her head. "Can you tell me when was the last time you saw her?"</p><p>"Two nights ago. We went to sleep, and when I woke up in the morning, she was gone," Brian said. "I haven't seen her since."</p><p>Two nights ago. That meant, three days after the deal, if Yang had her timeline straight.</p><p>"Did you notice anything strange about her before she left?"</p><p>"Yes… Five days ago, after she returned from work, she was quiet. That's not unusual – her line of work can be rough on her sometimes – but it was <em>more </em>this time," Brian said. "Then the day after, she didn't go to work because she felt sick. She barely spoke. But the most worrying part was, she didn't even acknowledge Sadie. It was like she was avoiding her, and I don't know why she'd ever do that."</p><p>Yang frowned. "Sadie?"</p><p>"Our daughter."</p><p>Like an anchor, Yang's heart sank.</p><p>"The day after that, she only left our bed to eat. I stayed home too to look after her," Brian said. "And there was something else. The night before she vanished, I swear I saw her holding something in her hands. I don't know what it was, and when I looked again, she didn't have it anymore. I thought I was seeing things because I was so worried, but – I'm sorry, is something wrong?"</p><p>Yang blinked. "I – no, it's alright. Everything's alright. I was just thinking about what you're saying," she said. "This thing she was holding, was it like a crystal?"</p><p>"A crystal?" Brian pursed his lips. "Maybe. It was just a glimpse. Why, do you know something about-"</p><p>There was a knock on the door, and Brian stood up. He looked at Yang worriedly.</p><p>"That might be my, uh… partner," Yang said.</p><p>"I'll see them in, then."</p><p>He left, leaving Yang alone in the room. Except she wasn't really alone – as Yang shifted her weight on the sofa, she felt a pair of eyes on her, and looked up to see a little blonde girl in a pink flower dress peeking at her from the hallway.</p><p>"Hi," Yang said, conjuring up a smile. "Are you Sadie?"</p><p>The girl looked behind her, then waddled over to her.</p><p>"You're pretty," she said, looking up at Yang. "How old are you?"</p><p>"Aw, thanks. I think you're pretty too," Yang said. "And I'm twenty. How about you?"</p><p>"Five," Sadie said. "What's your name?"</p><p>"I'm Yang. I really like your dress."</p><p>"My grandma gave it to me on my birthday." Sadie spun around once, then looked at Yang again, a serious expression on her face. "Are you gonna find my mom for me?"</p><p>"I… Yeah," Yang said. "I'll bring her back to you. It's gonna be like she never even left."</p><p>Sadie smiled and stepped back, twirling again in her dress.</p><p>Brian came back with Qrow behind him. They both stopped in their tracks at the sight of the little girl, and Qrow met eyes with Yang, a silent understanding passing between them.</p><p>"Sadie…" Brian said. "I thought I told you to stay in your room."</p><p>"I heard voices. I thought maybe it was Mom," Sadie said, bowing her head shamefully. "Sorry."</p><p>"Ah. No, that's okay, sweet pea. You're not in trouble."</p><p>"Thanks for filling him in, Yang, but I think I should take point from here," Qrow said. "There's some things Brian and I need to discuss."</p><p>"Sure," Yang said. Frankly, she was happy to leave the conversation to someone else. Brian appeared to be a nice man, but she didn't know how long she would be able to talk to him, especially with his daughter right there.</p><p>Brian seemed to be facing a similar problem now. He stared at Sadie, looking lost as to what to do about her, and put his head in his hands.</p><p>"Hey, I know something," Yang said, getting up and crouching before Sadie. "How about you and I go play while your daddy and mister Qrow talk?" She looked at Brian. "Would that be okay?"</p><p>He couldn't appear more relieved. "There's a park just around the corner, you can't miss it," he said. "Sadie, you listen to what Miss Xiao Long tells you, okay? And don't wander far from her."</p><p>"Who's Miss Xiao Long?" Sadie asked.</p><p>"That's my last name," Yang said. "You know, like <em>Shields</em>."</p><p>"That's a really weird name to have," Sadie said. "Do you know how to play hopscotch?"</p><p>"Do I? I used to be the best hopscotch player in my hometown," Yang said. "Bet you can't beat me."</p><hr/><p>As it turned out, Sadie could beat Yang, and quite handily at that. That was mostly because Yang didn't remember the rules of hopscotch as well as she thought she did, and also because of Sadie's many custom rules. Like the one where when you hopped on a square, you also had to shout an animal's name, but you couldn't say the same animal twice, and also you couldn't say <em>dog </em>or <em>cat </em>because those were people, not animals. And also Yang was letting her win.</p><p>There were definitely many reasons Yang was losing, and none of them were that she was bad at the game.</p><p>"Elephant – tiger – rhino – giraffe – toucan!" Sadie spun around at the end of the court. "Wolf – deer – monkey – ape-" She paused. "Is monkey and ape the same animal?"</p><p>"Nope, I think you're still in it," Yang said.</p><p>"Shark – whale – lion!" Sadie reached the start of the court and hopped off, smiling at Yang. "I win again!"</p><p>"You sure do," Yang said. "Maybe I shouldn't have challenged you, after all. You're really good at hopscotch, Sadie."</p><p>"I know!" Sadie said, beaming with pride. "Can I go again before you?"</p><p>"Sure. Just let me fix that real quick."</p><p>There wasn't a ready-made hopscotch court in the park, and they hadn't brought any chalk to draw their own, so Yang had used a stick to outline one in the dirt. Unfortunately with Yang being so much bigger, and Sadie's overall excitement, the borders were fading easily as they played. Yang picked up another stick and set about fixing them.</p><p>"Miss Yang, are you like a superhero or something?" Sadie asked.</p><p>"Yeah. Something like that," Yang said.</p><p>"Do you kill monsters?"</p><p>"Sometimes," Yang said. Sadie was too young to learn about Grimm, even if she wanted to know. "Mostly I just rescue cats from trees, and compete with hopscotch champions in the park."</p><p>Sadie pouted. "But that's boring."</p><p>"Well, I'll tell you something that's not boring, then," Yang said. "My sister Ruby is an <em>actual </em>superhero. She even has a cape she wears, though these days it's more of a cloak. And she used to have a superhero name too."</p><p>Sadie cooed, her eyes going wide as saucers.</p><p>"One time, Ruby got kidnapped by a crazy evil scientist," Yang said. "Except she got kidnapped on purpose to rescue her robot girlfriend. And when she did, the two of them defeated him together using the power of love and friendship."</p><p>"Love and friendship?" Sadie repeated dubiously.</p><p>"…Penny shot a big laser or something, I don't remember the details that well," Yang said.</p><p>"Wow. Your sister sounds way cooler than you, Miss Yang," Sadie said.</p><p>"That's because she <em>is </em>cooler than me," Yang said. "But also she's a dork."</p><p>"That's not a nice thing to say about your sister."</p><p>"Trust me, you'd do the same and worse if you had one."</p><p>Yang finished fixing the court, and Sadie tossed the pebble they were using as a marker. She hopped off, merrily reciting a list of animals as she went. When she got to the end, however, she stopped on one leg and stared off at the distance. She hopped back in silence, and looked up at Yang.</p><p>"Miss Yang?" she said. "What… What if my mommy doesn't come back?"</p><p>"She'll come back, Sadie," Yang said. "I'll make sure she does."</p><p>"But what if she doesn't?"</p><p>Yang sighed. She crouched and took Sadie's hands, smiling at her.</p><p>"Well, Sadie. <em>If </em>that happens…" she said. "You're going to be very sad. And that's okay for you to feel that way then. But you'll also have to be strong, okay? Because your daddy, he's gonna be sad too, probably for a long time, and he'll have to be strong for you. So if you can help him, even if it's really small, I know he'll be so proud and grateful. And your mommy will be too."</p><p>Sadie thought about it for a moment, and nodded, a resolute expression on her face.</p><p>"<em>But</em>, you won't have to do any of that, Sadie," Yang said. "'Cause you're my friend, and I never let my friends down. Okay?"</p><p>"Okay!"</p><p>"Wanna go another round to make up for that last one?"</p><p>Sadie smiled and threw the marker again. As she hopped away, Yang felt a tingling in the back of her neck, like she was being watched. She turned her head to look and saw a raven sitting on the branch of a nearby tree, its eyes staring inquisitively at her.</p><p><em>Oh, great</em>. Yang turned away hastily. <em>How much of that did she hear?</em></p><p>"Hey!" Vernal approached the court, looking typically cross. "When's your uncle planning on coming out of that house? We don't have all day."</p><p>"Sure we do," Yang said, standing up. She nodded towards Sadie, who'd stopped to look at the new arrival, then stared steely at Vernal. "We've got all the time in the world."</p><p>Vernal opened and closed her mouth, her eyes going to Sadie and then straying away. "Right. I was just feeling a bit restless in the car."</p><p>"Who's this lady, Miss Yang?" Sadie asked, walking over to them. "She looks angry."</p><p>"This is Vernal. She's like a friend from work," Yang said. "And you don't need to be scared of her. That's just the way her face is."</p><p>"Oh…" Sadie smiled at Vernal. "I'm sorry your face always looks angry, Miss Vernal."</p><p>Vernal glared at Yang for a second, before she slumped her shoulders and grinned at Sadie. "It's alright, kid."</p><p>"Do you know how to play hopscotch?" Sadie asked.</p><p>"Oh, uhm… It's been a while, but yeah. But I'm not-"</p><p>"Do you know the special rules?"</p><p>"Special rules?"</p><p>Yang looked over her shoulder. The bird was gone from the tree, but she saw Raven sitting on a bench not far away from it. Yang walked away, leaving Vernal to entertain Sadie for a while.</p><p>She stopped before the bench, putting her hands on her hips. "Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?"</p><p>"Well…" Raven looked up with a smirk on her lips, resting her arms atop the back of the bench. "The apple had to have fallen from somewhere."</p><p>"Touché."</p><p>Yang sat down beside Raven. In the distance, Sadie shouted something about dogs, and Vernal wobbled on one leg, looking extremely confused.</p><p>"What you told her just now," Raven said. "That's a lot to put on a kid."</p><p>"I know. It's not fair," Yang said. "But that's life for you."</p><p>Raven went silent, and Yang looked on as Sadie picked up her pebble and vehemently repeated the rules to Vernal.</p><p><em>She's just five. That's even younger than Ruby when</em>- Yang stopped herself. Heather Shields wasn't dead yet. And she wouldn't be any time soon, if Yang had any say in it.</p><p>"I've been thinking about something," Yang said. "You were in Vale, weren't you?"</p><p>Raven raised her an eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific."</p><p>"You know what I'm talking about. The Battle of Vale, when this whole mess with the Grimm exploded. I was fighting, and I saw you there, watching me from an alleyway," Yang said. "Course, I didn't know it was you at the time. And until my dad showed me your picture, I thought I had just imagined things. I still kinda thought that, even after."</p><p>"That would be one hell of a coincidence for me to be in Vale just as the world ended," Raven said.</p><p>"It would be, if it weren't for your Semblance," Yang said. "How long have you been bonded to me?"</p><p>The air shimmered around Raven, and Yang tensed. She would grab Raven and stop her from flying away if she had to.</p><p>"Some bonds are beyond my control," Raven said, slowly, as if it hurt her pride to admit that.</p><p>"Right," Yang said. "Was it also beyond your control to watch me like that? Couldn't even say hi, could you?"</p><p>"Would it have changed anything if I had?" Raven asked, scowling. "Are you unhappy with the life you've had? You had a safe home, parents to take care of you, and a loving sister. What more did you need?"</p><p>"That's <em>not</em> how that works," Yang said. "You <em>left</em>. Why?"</p><p>Raven whipped her head around, her eyes sparking. "Why are you <em>here</em>?"</p><p>"Don't dodge the question! Just give me a straight answer, for once!"</p><p>"I've been nothing but honest with you since-"</p><p>"You have <em>not</em>. I'm sick and tired of you and everyone-"</p><p>"I <em>really </em>hate to interrupt."</p><p>They turned to look, and Qrow stumbled back from the sheer intensity of their gazes. He made a gesture over his chest and exhaled loudly.</p><p>"Beacon's on the lookout for Heather Shields. They haven't found her yet, but they've found her car, so we've got a general area to look," he said. "Her husband asked us to walk his daughter back home. He's still a little shaken up."</p><p>Yang stood up. "I can do that. Anything to get me away from <em>her</em>."</p><p>She turned away from Raven and gestured to Sadie, and the girl left her round of hopscotch to run over to her. As she did, Yang pushed down her anger with a deep breath. The last thing Sadie needed right now was for her to turn from a friend to a fuming monster.</p><p>"What's happening, Miss Yang?" Sadie asked. "Do you want to play with us?"</p><p>"Sorry, Sadie, but I've gotta walk you back home now. Your daddy asked," Yang said.</p><p>"Aw. Okay," Sadie said. "But look! Look what Miss Vernal gave me!"</p><p>She stood on the tip of her toes to show Yang a wooden toy bird.</p><p>"That's cute," Yang said. "And did you thank-"</p><p>As she watched, the toy bird beat its wings and took off from Sadie's hands. It slowly glided around the girl's head, spinning twice as it came back to her front, and landed on her outstretched palms, inert.</p><p>"Wow," Yang said. "Yeah, that's very cool."</p><p>"How does it fly like that if it's wood?" Sadie asked.</p><p>"Magic."</p><p>Sadie pouted. "Magic isn't real, Miss Yang."</p><p>"Sure it is. I've seen it with my own eyes," Yang said. "And now you have too."</p><p>Sadie didn't need any more convincing after that, taking her toy and pressing it to her chest excitedly.</p><p>While they were talking, Vernal had walked over, and now she stood close to the bench where Raven still sat. Yang looked at her and smiled knowingly, and Vernal hastily looked away, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. It was a strange look on her, but cute, Yang had to admit.</p><p>"Did you say thank you to Miss Vernal, Sadie?" Yang said.</p><p>"Yes!" Sadie exclaimed, and turned to Vernal for good measure, "Thank you, Miss Vernal!"</p><p>Vernal dragged her foot along the dirt and shrugged. "'s nothing, kid."</p><p>Sadie looked at Yang. "Can you carry me back home?"</p><p>"Sadie, you are <em>way </em>too old to be carried places," Yang said. "Lucky for you, I'm all muscles."</p><p>She grabbed Sadie and lifted her up, putting her down on her shoulders.</p><p>"Yay!" Sadie clapped her hands. "You're the best, Miss Yang."</p><p>"So I've been told," Yang said. "But I like hearing it from you."</p><p>Raven leaned forward on the bench and smiled. "They raised you well."</p><p>Qrow whipped around, staring at her like she'd sprouted a second head and vomited a sea of rainbows and unicorns from it. A moment later, Raven seemed to realize what she'd said, and her smile waned as she looked up at Yang, uncertain.</p><p>For a second, Yang didn't know what to say, and so she stood silent, meeting Raven's stare. And then, like a bonfire getting a second wind, the anger from their previous conversation came roaring back.</p><p>"Whoop-dee-<em>fucking</em>-doo."</p><p>Raven's face darkened. Without a word, she stood up and stomped away.</p><p>Vernal cursed under her breath and went after Raven. Yang didn't care to look where they were going.</p><p>"I'll, uh…" Qrow looked at Yang awkwardly. "I'll check for updates and meet you at the car." He took out his Scroll and walked away.</p><p>Yang sighed.</p><p>"Miss Yang, what was that thing you said just now? What does it mean?" Sadie asked quietly.</p><p>"Oh, it means something like, <em>I don't care</em>," Yang said. "But it's a naughty word, so you shouldn't repeat it to anyone, okay? Definitely don't use it on your dad."</p><p>"Okay." Sadie nodded, and looked down at Yang inquisitively. "Who was that lady? She kinda looked like you."</p><p>"She did, didn't she?"</p><p>Yang patted Sadie's leg and started walking back to the house.</p><p>"Don't worry about her," she said. "She's just a stranger."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Abandonment, Sisterhood, Tears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So. Oniyuri," Yang said. "Anything I should know about the place?"</p><p>Vernal didn't take her eyes off the road to answer, which was a small blessing, with how fast she was driving. "It's a shithole district."</p><p>Yang blinked. "...How?"</p><p>"Well, they started building it a few decades ago, and then they stopped," Vernal said. "People don't really live there. At least not of their own choice. The place doesn't get much support from the city officials - they like to pretend it doesn't exist."</p><p>"But that… That can't be a thing," Yang said. "City like Haven, they can't just abandon a whole district just like that, can they?"</p><p>"You've got a lot of living to do, girl, if you think <em>that </em>is a tough pill to swallow," Vernal said. "But don't take my word for it. You'll see when we get there."</p><p>Yang looked out the window. Qrow and Raven had flown on ahead, leaving Yang and Vernal to catch up to them in the car. It was a bit frustrating, but Yang was glad to be separated from Raven, even if it meant being alone with Vernal.</p><p>"If Oniyuri's such a bad place, why would Shields go there?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Hell if I know," Vernal said. "And she's not Shields anymore at this point. She's just… the <em>thing</em>."</p><p>"Is she?" Yang said. "Look, if we're assuming she got possessed by the evil crystal fiend when she interfered with the deal, that means she's been like that for, what, five days?"</p><p>"Your point?"</p><p>"That's an awful long time for someone to be possessed. Wasn't the crystal supposed to drain the host to a husk or something like that?" Yang said. "Shields stayed at home for three days. She felt sick, she didn't speak much, but she didn't hurt her husband or her daughter. And then one night she just got in her car and took off."</p><p>Vernal frowned, even easing on the gas as she glanced at Yang.</p><p>"I'm just saying, maybe we're not giving her enough credit," Yang said. "Maybe she went to this abandoned district of yours because she knew there'd be less people for her to hurt there. She knows something's wrong with her, and she's resisting."</p><p>"That's a hell of a lot of assumptions to make, kid," Vernal said. "And optimistic ones at that."</p><p>"But I've got a point."</p><p>"…Maybe. But this changes nothing about what we've gotta do."</p><p>Yang nodded. She didn't have Vernal completely convinced, but it was a start. When they reunited with Qrow, she could get him to see things her way. She'd seen how he'd reacted to Mr. Shields and Sadie – he didn't want a broken family in his conscience any more than she did.</p><p>But Raven… That was going to be a tough sell.</p><p>"Can you help me convince Raven when we get there?" Yang asked.</p><p>"After that fiasco in the park?" Vernal scoffed. "No. I know my battles, kid, and she's not gonna wanna listen to anything you say after that."</p><p>"Excuse me, am I being blamed for her being a terrible person now? And the name's Yang, so you can stop calling me kid already," Yang said.</p><p>"Whatever. That thing in the park – that was her trying to open up to you," Vernal said. "And you shot her down. <em>Hard</em>."</p><p>"No. I'm not gonna feel sorry for her. If she got her feelings hurt, that's her fault," Yang said. "She could have come to talk to me anytime, but she <em>chose </em>not to. I have no sympathy for her."</p><p>Vernal scowled. "You don't know Raven."</p><p>"No, I really don't," Yang said. "But you do. So, woohoo and congratulations. Is my skin green or has the envy not started showing yet?"</p><p>Vernal opened her mouth to retort, but closed it a moment later. She focused her eyes on the road, her fingers tight around the steering wheel.</p>
<hr/><p>Vernal hadn't exaggerated about the state of Oniyuri District. The roads were mostly unpaved, smooth mountain rocks covered by dust and dirt. Yang could have counted on her fingers and toes the number of buildings that were fit for someone to live or work in; there were but a few that hadn't been abandoned mid-construction. The place was like a ghost town, and that reflected on the faces of the people they passed by in the car.</p><p>Yang had always heard good things about Mistral, from its beautiful sights to its rich culture. And for all she knew, those things were true. But as she got more familiar with Haven, her opinion of Mistral as a whole was plummeting fast. If the capital had all these problems, what did that say about the rest of the country?</p><p>Vernal parked on the side of the dirt road, and they both got out. Qrow waited ahead, stood beside another vehicle – a <em>really </em>high-end kind of car, which couldn't have stood out more. Raven was there too, perched atop the hood in bird form.</p><p>"Hey," Yang said as they met, pointedly avoiding looking at the bird. "This is Heather's car?"</p><p>"What gave it away?" Qrow said.</p><p>"I see the riffraff wasted no time," Vernal said, leaning to look inside. The driver-side window had been shattered, probably by a rock, and there were files and documents scattered on the floor and seats. The keys, however, were still on the ignition.</p><p>"Why would someone break in but not steal the car? The keys are right there," Yang said.</p><p>"Think they realized who they'd be stealing it from," Qrow said. "Nobody wants to make an enemy out of an agent of Beacon."</p><p>Yang looked around. She didn't see anybody in their immediate vicinity, but there might be people watching from their houses. If so, they didn't pose them any threat, but the knowledge still wigged her out.</p><p>"I went up and down the street, got a few words out of the neighbors who didn't shut their door on my face," Qrow said. "Car showed up here the morning after Shields vanished. Nobody <em>saw </em>her, but my wager is she left the house while her husband was still asleep, drove away in the dead of night, and left the car right here before dawn. Went the rest of the way on foot, and considering that she didn't bother to take the keys or even lock the car, I don't think she was planning on coming back for it."</p><p>"<em>Somebody</em> saw her," Vernal said. "They just don't want to say it."</p><p>"I know, but I can't force them to talk, so we work with what we get," Qrow said. "We might have better luck as we spread out, people might feel more favorable to answering questions if the car is not parked right outside their house. Who knows, we might even stumble upon Shields herself."</p><p>"Wait, how do we know Heather is still here? I don't think she's left, but how can we be sure?" Yang asked.</p><p>"We can't be sure of anything, but this gives us an area to start searching, at least," Qrow said. "I've got agents watching every exit point to the other districts. If they spot Shields leaving Oniyuri, we'll know right away. I would have asked them to help us search, but after seeing her handiwork, I'm not letting anyone without Aura anywhere near her."</p><p>"Well, it wasn't <em>her </em>handiwork," Yang said. "It was the demon's."</p><p>"Right," Qrow said. "You know what I mean."</p><p>"Yeah. Speaking of…" Yang took a deep breath. "I think we should talk about what we're gonna do once we find her."</p><p>Vernal muttered something under her breath and turned away. Raven's bird-head turned to look at Yang, and she skipped to the edge of the hood, red eyes boring into her intensely.</p><p>"Yang, I know what you're feeling, but despite what we've learned, I don't think the end goal has changed," Qrow said, shaking his head solemnly. "Heather Shields was a good woman, but she's long gone at this point. And if we want to stop what happened to her from happening to anyone else, we have to kill what is left of her."</p><p>"Is she gone, though? If the crystal took over her, why did she drive all the way here instead of just going on a rampage?" Yang said. "I think she came here to protect her family. Heather's not gone - not yet. We can still save her, <em>without</em> killing her."</p><p>Qrow crossed his arms. "That would be ideal, yes, but thinking this way is useless unless you have a real plan, Yang. So, do you?"</p><p>"I don't know exactly how to save her. But maybe your guys at Beacon can figure something out," Yang said. She gestured at Vernal and Raven. "And let's look at the facts. Heather might be possessed, but we're four very powerful people. We can subdue her if we work together."</p><p>"I don't know about this, Yang. We'd be risking a lot on the slim chance that one woman might be saved," Qrow said. "How many people have died already because of all of this? How many more will die if we don't end it now?"</p><p>"I know it's a hard decision to make," Yang said. "But please, Uncle Qrow. We have to try."</p><p>Qrow sighed and looked away. The air above the car shimmered in a blur of red and black, and suddenly Raven stood beside Yang, gripping her shoulder firmly.</p><p>"I knew this would happen," Raven said. "You know what has to be done, Yang, so stop behaving like a child and <em>accept it</em>. The woman is gone, and you'll be doing her a kindness by killing the thing that stole her body."</p><p>"I already said it – she's <em>not </em>gone," Yang said. "And I'll be doing her a kindness by returning her to her husband and daughter."</p><p>Raven shook her head. "I'm not going along your ridiculous plan."</p><p>"Then you better hope you find her first," Yang said, "because I will fight you to protect her. I'll fight all of you if I have to. I'm not letting a girl grow up without her mother because we were too afraid to take a risk."</p><p>She pulled Raven's hand off her shoulder and stared at her in challenge. Raven stood silent, her hand twitching near her sword.</p><p>"She's right," Vernal said, walking over to Yang's side.</p><p>Raven blinked and looked at her. "<em>What</em>?"</p><p>"It might not work, but we have to at least try," Vernal said. "And if things take a turn for the worse, we can always go back to the original plan."</p><p>"We might not get such a chance," Raven said. "<em>Vernal</em>. You know this is foolish."</p><p>"I'm sorry, Raven." Vernal began to bow her head, but stopped and looked Raven in the eyes instead. "I'm following the kid's lead."</p><p>Yang cleared her throat.</p><p>"Don't push it," Vernal said. "I might have something that can help."</p><p>She opened a pouch on her belt and took out a ribbon made of red fabric, no more than ten inches long. She pulled on it and it stretched to five times its size, then joined the two ends to make a circle. As soon as they touched, the ribbon shrank down to its original length, and so it remained.</p><p>"I've humbled more than a few loud-mouthed idiots with this thing," she said.</p><p>Qrow chuckled. "Kinky."</p><p>"What? You – they were being pigs, so I tied them up and left them in the mud overnight to teach them a lesson," Vernal said, glaring at him. "I'd do that to you right now if we didn't have more pressing concerns."</p><p>"I was just saying what we were all thinking," Qrow said, and Yang was glad he didn't turn to her for confirmation. "Do you think that'd be enough to restrain Shields if we had to?"</p><p>"Probably yes."</p><p>Yang looked at Qrow, and he took a moment to think, before he sighed.</p><p>"If there's a chance, I say we try it," he said, and looked at Raven. "Ball's on your court, Sis. Are you gonna help, or are you gonna be trouble?"</p><p>Raven stared at the three of them in turn, as if considering who she was most disappointed by. Her eyes landed on Yang, and she shook her head, then hopped off the ground and flew off.</p><p>"That didn't sound like a yes to me," Yang said, pursing her lips.</p><p>"We'll have to take it as one," Qrow said. "Okay, let's split up. I'll go that way and keep an eye on Raven." He pointed to one end of the street. "You two go that way. Stay close together. Yang, you keep your Scroll at hand's reach in case we need to talk."</p><p>"Yes, sir," Yang said.</p><p>He nodded and walked away, taking his flask from under his vest and uncorking it.</p><p>"Guess we're stuck with each other again," Yang said, turning to Vernal. "Thanks for having my back."</p><p>"You're welcome." Vernal walked away. "But I didn't do it for you."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang kicked a tin can across the road and spun around to look at Vernal, her hands on her hips.</p><p>"Well that's two hours of my life I'm never getting back," she said.</p><p>Vernal looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Truly, your patience knows no bounds."</p><p>"Oh, and you're going to pretend you're happy not one person had anything useful to say to us?" Yang said. "Not that that's much of a surprise. If you came up wanting to ask me questions with that angry mug of yours, I'd run for the hills too."</p><p>"Right, it's probably <em>all</em> my fault," Vernal drawled. "Maybe I should have followed your lead and softened them up with a tantalizing glimpse of my cleavage."</p><p>Yang gasped. "Excuse me? I didn't-"</p><p>"What, you weren't doing that on purpose?" Vernal said. "Hmm. Now isn't <em>that</em> embarrassing."</p><p>She flashed Yang a grin, then turned and walked back the way they'd come. Yang pulled up her shirt a little, and once she was sure her cheeks weren't burning anymore, chased after Vernal.</p><p>"Maybe we should split up on the way back to the car?" Yang said. "We might have missed something on our first pass."</p><p>"Don't think that'd be wise. If one of us found Shields alone, that could turn out badly," Vernal said. "Besides, I have no way to contact your uncle on my own."</p><p>"You would have if you'd added his number to your phone like he asked," Yang said.</p><p>"Yeah, I'd sooner jump off a bridge," Vernal grumbled.</p><p>"What about Raven? Can you reach her with one of your magic thingies?" Yang asked.</p><p>She had a brief mental image of bird-Raven trying to accept a call on her phone by smacking the screen with her wings, to no avail. She almost laughed, before she remembered who she was thinking about.</p><p>"Not while she's shifted," Vernal said. "And seeing as she's in a mood, she won't be shifting back unless she has to."</p><p>Vernal's harsh tone of voice was nothing new, but it surprised Yang nonetheless. This was the first time she heard her speak of Raven with less than total respect. And if it was surprising to her, it seemed to be even more so to Vernal herself, as she squared her shoulders and walked on faster.</p><p>"You're angry with her," Yang said, matching her pace. "That's why you sided with me before. To spite her."</p><p>"That's <em>ridiculous</em>," Vernal said. "I sided with you because you were right. There is a little girl and she deserves to grow up with a loving mother." She glared at Yang. "What do you take me for, a child?"</p><p>"No. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like-" Yang stopped herself. She'd put her whole foot in her mouth, and she was not getting it out of there anytime soon. "I'm just sorry. But you <em>are </em>mad at Raven, I can tell. You've been mad at her since I showed up. It's why you've been such a bitch to me this whole time, right?"</p><p>"No," Vernal said shortly. "That's because you're a brat, and I'd rather you weren't here."</p><p>They reached a stairway, and Vernal climbed on ahead. Midway through, she stopped, and stood still for a while. Yang stared up at her from the base of the stairs.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Vernal said, turning around. "This has clearly been a difficult time for you. I didn't mean to make it harder than it already was."</p><p>For a moment, Yang didn't know what to say. She could barely believe she'd heard an apology – a genuine, heartfelt apology – come out of Vernal's lips.</p><p>"That's okay," Yang said, getting up the first step. "I'm pretty sure we're on the same boat, so… I'm sorry too. For making things harder on you."</p><p>Vernal shrugged and descended to Yang's level. She sat down on the steps, and Yang sat beside her.</p><p>"I'm not angry with Raven," Vernal said. "Not exactly, anyway."</p><p>Yang grinned. "Are you <em>disappointed </em>with her?"</p><p>"That's… not far off the mark, actually," Vernal said. "You need to understand something. All of us that joined the tribe, we did it for a reason. We were looking for a new life, because there was something about the one before that we had to escape from. And that's true even for Raven."</p><p>Yang felt her stomach drop. "Me. It was me she was running from, right?"</p><p>"I think so," Vernal said. "To be honest, I always suspected she might have a child somewhere she didn't tell anyone about. Some of the things she said – and there was a look she got in her eyes, when she thought I wasn't looking. But I never asked, because maybe I didn't want to know." She sighed. "I knew the truth the moment I saw you. I guess I just wasn't prepared to accept it."</p><p>Yang swallowed dry. She couldn't say anything, even if she wanted to.</p><p>"There's something that happens when you grow up knowing someone abandoned you," Vernal said. "No matter how much love you get, there will always be a part of you that wonders what it was about you that was so terrible. Can't shake it. Can't pretend it's not there." She paused. "I'm sorry she did that to you."</p><p>Yang opened her mouth to speak, but only a squeak came out. Startled, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands, and breathed in and out evenly. This… She had not been expecting all of this.</p><p>"You want my advice, kid?" Vernal said.</p><p>"I mean…" Yang croaked. "We're already getting all mushy, so I feel we're past the point of asking."</p><p>"Right," Vernal said. "What Raven did, no one could ever ask you to forgive her. But she took me in when I was more of an animal than a person. I've been with her for eleven years, and she's never done me wrong."</p><p>Yang frowned. "And that matters to me why?"</p><p>"It doesn't. Hate her if you have to," Vernal said. "But try and give her a chance first. A real chance. It'll be good for the both of you."</p><p>Yang sniffed. It wasn't like she hadn't already given Raven plenty of chances to prove she wasn't a terrible human being. But… The circumstances they were in weren't exactly easy.</p><p>"Fine," Yang said. "But only because you made me cry."</p><p>They sat side-by-side, sharing in the silence for a minute. It was surreal, and it was peaceful, and Yang almost found herself wrapping an arm around Vernal and pulling her in for a hug.</p><p>Damn, she missed Ruby.</p><p>"<em>Alright</em>." Vernal stood up suddenly and cleared her throat. She offered Yang a hand. "Enough of that. We have actually important things to be doing."</p><p>"What, my mental health isn't important to you?" Yang asked, taking the offered hand and pulling herself up.</p><p>"Shut it." Vernal pointed a finger at her nose. "You mention this conversation to anyone, and I will kill you in your sleep."</p><p>Yang nodded. "Only way you could ever kill me."</p><p>Vernal huffed and started climbing up the stairway. Yang followed after her, one step, two steps – and stopped, a sensation like an icepick piercing through the back of her neck. Her head shot up and she looked around wildly, searching for something unseen, until her eyes settled on the space between two houses.</p><p>Yang vaguely heard Vernal calling to her, but she ignored her, vaulting over the stairs' railings and heading towards the alley. The air seemed to grow thicker the closer she got to it, and everything in her was screaming for her to turn away and leave, to forget all about this – but her feet were moving of their own accord. She <em>couldn't</em> turn away.</p><p>Suddenly, Vernal was at her side, grabbing her by the shoulder. "<em>What </em>are you doing?"</p><p>Yang blinked. She met Vernal's incredulous gaze, and looked at the alley again. "Don't you feel that?" she said. "It's like – I don't know. Don't you <em>feel </em>it?"</p><p>"I have no idea what you're talking about and I don't care. We've wasted enough-"</p><p>Vernal stopped mid-sentence, her whole body going taut. She looked at the alley, and backed away from Yang, a haunted look on her face. A moment later, she shook her head and put her arm in front of Yang, stopping her from going any further.</p><p>"<em>That</em>," Vernal said, "is the demon's trail."</p><p>Yang swallowed dry. "So it – Heather – they went that way?"</p><p>"Yes. And we almost missed it," Vernal said. She pursed her lips, a look of wounded pride flashing across her face. "It's good you picked up on it."</p><p>Yang hadn't really been trying, but she figured saying that would only upset Vernal further. Besides, she wasn't in a mood to boast – she could still feel that awful presence in the air, and it was only worse now she knew where it came from.</p><p>"So I guess I should call my uncle now," she said.</p><p>"Yes," Vernal said. She lowered her hands to either sides of her belt, where her blades hung. "Yes, you should."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang found it surprisingly easy to follow the demon's trail, though the path it had taken was not a straightforward one, slipping between houses and going up and down whole blocks with no rhyme or reason. It was almost like it didn't know where it was going, yet Yang could track its movement by pure instinct. Vernal followed right behind her, having accepted her lead without a word of complaint.</p><p>They neared the outskirts of Oniyuri, where the effects of its abandonment became clearer than ever, with nary a standing house to be seen anywhere. The demon seemed to find its purpose then, its path becoming a straight line, and Yang followed it surely.</p><p>It was at that point that she saw Qrow. He came soaring high in the sky by the corner of her vision, a crow of slick gray feathers, and took a nose-dive towards her. He shifted just before he hit the ground, falling into pace beside her with startling grace.</p><p>"Sup," he said, rolling his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a brief second, shuddering slightly. "Yeah. That's our mark alright."</p><p>Vernal quickly caught up to them. "Raven come with you?" she asked.</p><p>Qrow nodded at the sky, and Yang saw the shape of a familiar bird soar past so fast, it was barely more than a blur.</p><p>"If you can follow the trail so easily," Vernal said, looking at Yang, "imagine how it is for her."</p><p>"Hope she's not gonna cause <em>something</em>," Yang said. "We need to get there before she does."</p><p>"Calm your horses," Qrow said. "Raven's a hard-ass, but she's not unreasonable. Just don't give her an opening, and it'll all go alright."</p><p>The condition that as long as they did everything perfectly, Raven wouldn't abandon the plan, did little to appease Yang's worries.</p><p>"Hey." Vernal tapped Yang with her knuckles. "We're bringing that woman back to her daughter."</p><p>She raised an eyebrow, and Yang nodded. "We are."</p><p>They walked for another minute, until their destination appeared in their sights – a five-story building halted in the middle of its construction, all the scaffolding and materials left there since perhaps years. The area surrounding it was positively covered in dust, but Yang cared little about it. The closer they got to the building, the more her skin tingled, and it wasn't at all a pleasant sensation.</p><p>Before they arrived at the building itself, Raven appeared, landing just beside the group as they stopped to look.</p><p>"It's in there," she said, her hand closed tight around the handle of her sword.</p><p>"Did you see Shields?" Qrow asked.</p><p>"I did not," Raven said. "It-"</p><p>"She's hiding," Yang said. "She knows we're here, and she knows we're a threat."</p><p>For a moment, Raven seemed troubled by Yang's interruption, but she soon gestured at her and turned to Qrow. "What the girl said."</p><p>"Okay," Qrow said. "Shields is not coming out anytime soon, so we have no choice but to go in and find her ourselves. And we need to be careful – this place is unstable. Things could turn out bad if we end up in a fight."</p><p>"With the approach you've so wisely chosen, this can <em>only </em>end up in a fight," Raven said. "But worry not. I'm nothing if not a team player."</p><p>She walked into the building, and Yang followed her closely. As they crossed the threshold, the foreboding presence seemed to vanish altogether, and Yang found herself letting out a huge breath.</p><p>The first and second levels were mostly finished, or they were more finished than the rest of the building, at least. There were walls and support beams, and though they looked frail, they were <em>something</em>. Yang didn't look forward to exploring the upper levels.</p><p>"Ah, damnit," Qrow muttered behind her. He was crouched near a pillar, a grave expression on his face, and Yang knew why when she walked over – there was a man sat against the pillar, his face bloodied from a broken nose, and his neck bent at such a terrible angle, Yang had to force herself to not look away.</p><p>"Well, then," Vernal said, joining them. "Who's this fellow?"</p><p>"Couldn't tell you," Qrow said. He raised a hand towards the man's face, then thought twice about it. "He's very dead."</p><p>"Of course he is," Raven said nearby, looking thoroughly unsurprised by the scene before them. She turned to Yang. "And you know why."</p><p>Yang crouched beside Qrow, frowning as she inspected the body up close.</p><p>"I think he was running," she said. "Running from her."</p><p>Qrow considered that for a moment. "Shields was chasing after him, is what you're saying. That's why she ran all this way?"</p><p>"Yeah. He must have found her, wherever she was hiding," Yang said. "Why go through all that trouble to kill him, though? He was scared enough already."</p><p>"Because that's what <em>it </em>does," Raven said. "It hunts. It kills. It grows stronger. And when its host reaches their limit, it discards them in favor of the next best one."</p><p>"So what, you're saying he was prey to her?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Perhaps. It doesn't matter to me," Raven said. "I only care about ending this, one way or another."</p><p>"Then let's do that." Qrow stood up. "Raven, you're coming with me to the fifth floor. We'll conduct a search from top to bottom. Yang, Vernal, you two stand guard here and make sure Shields doesn't run. All good on the plan?"</p><p>"Don't slow me down," Raven said, and flew back out the doorway. Qrow quickly followed.</p><p>Silence fell. Yang looked at Vernal.</p><p>"So. Guard duty." She exhaled loudly. "Ex-citing."</p><p>Vernal didn't so much as look at her, so Yang let her be. Clearly, neither of them were up for a chat.</p><p>Yang wandered away, walking slowly through the first floor, avoiding the general vicinity of the dead body. She noted that, although the demon's presence was lesser now, it was still there. It just wasn't enough for her to track it like before. She wondered if that was some kind of survival mechanism, like how some animals camouflage themselves. In that case, she would be the predator it was hiding from right now – which was funny because she <em>really</em> didn't feel like one.</p><p>"<em>Psst</em>."</p><p>Yang turned around. Vernal had wandered off too, though now she was stopped at the other end of the floor. She put a hand on her lips and gestured for Yang to walk over.</p><p>"What?" Yang whispered.</p><p>Vernal silently pointed at the ceiling, and Yang noticed specks of dust falling from it. It took her a moment to understand why Vernal was pointing it out.</p><p>"You think Heather's…?" Yang said, and Vernal nodded. "Should we go up there?"</p><p>"Why <em>the hell </em>would we go up there? Raven and Qrow will get there eventually and <em>then </em>we'll see what we can do," Vernal whispered, looking at Yang like she was an unruly child.</p><p>"You don't have to come with me. Stay here, watch the exit," Yang said, "I'll go up and engage her. If I talk to her one-on-one, maybe I can get her to help us help her."</p><p>"And you can do that better than the <em>trained Beacon agent</em>?" Vernal said.</p><p>"Oh, so<em> now </em>you respect him." Yang put her hands on her hips. "Look. I'm a people person. Just… watch my back?"</p><p>Vernal squinted at her, as if rethinking every decision she'd made that had gotten her to this point, then sighed and gestured at the ceiling. Yang flashed her a grin and two awkward thumb-ups.</p><p>The only way to the second floor was a shoddy-looking metal ladder near the back wall. They walked over to it, Yang taking a moment to psych herself up before she started climbing. She threw a look back at Vernal, who nodded and tapped her blades, then pulled herself up the last step.</p><p>Yang rested on one knee for a moment, listening for any unusual sounds, but there was only silence. She slowly rose to her feet and turned in a circle. It looked like construction had ended during this floor – only the south and east walls had been erected, and still Yang had little confidence in their integrity. The area was barren, with only a few makeshift support beams scattered throughout it to hold the upper half of the building. And yet Yang saw no sign of Shields.</p><p>Looking up, Yang saw a flash of gray between the wooden boards above – Qrow scouring the fourth floor, it looked like. It was then that Yang felt a chill on the back of her neck, and she spun around fast. Her heart skipped a beat.</p><p>A woman stood between two beams, staring at her in silence, her head lolled slightly to the right. Yang had never met her, but the faded blond of her hair reminded her of Sadie. Even without that, she knew immediately who she was looking at – there was no mistaking the dark veins that weaved across her skin, and the black pools which had taken her eyes.</p><p>"Heather," Yang said, standing as still as she could manage under the chilling glare. "I'm Yang. I'm a friend."</p><p>Heather's head rose, and she took a step forward, but stopped at that. Her fingers twitched above her waistline, the tips of her fingers caked with blood. The whole floor seemed to reverberate with every breath she took.</p><p>"<em>Heather</em>," Yang said. She raised a hand, slowly so as to not startle the woman. "Listen to me. I know you can still understand me. You must be freaking out right now, but I promise you I just want to help you. Okay?"</p><p>She heard steps above her, and met eyes with Qrow through the wooden boards. Looking back at Heather, she realized his presence hadn't gone unnoticed by her either, and she appeared ready to fight or flee at an instant's notice.</p><p>"Hey. That's just my uncle," Yang said. "He's here to help too."</p><p>Heather stepped back, a dry growl rumbling in her throat. Qrow slid down a ladder, and came to stand to the right of her, his hands raised in a gesture of peace.</p><p>"Agents Shields," Qrow said. "I'm Agent Branwen. Do you remember me?"</p><p>Heather jerked away from him, her eyes darting from him to Yang.</p><p>"Yang's telling you the truth. We're here to help you," Qrow said. "You must be in terrible pain. If you allow us, we would like to take you to Beacon where they can take a look at you. We can get you healthy again, healthy and safe. And then you won't have to be scared about hurting your daughter anymore."</p><p>"Sadie. You want to see her again, right?" Yang said. "You will. You just have to come with us."</p><p>Heather stopped twitching, her eyes narrowing, and for a moment Yang thought she saw something human in them – hope, a cry for help – and then it was gone. Heather made a fist and struck herself in the face with it, and blood gushed from her nose and splashed on the ground like raindrops.</p><p>"Woah!" Yang walked towards her. "Stop th-"</p><p>Heather crossed the distance between them in an instant, her arm swinging around to strike a savage blow on the side of Yang's head. Sent reeling backwards, Yang lost her footing and fell on her back. Heather lunged at her, fingers curved like claws, but Qrow appeared beside her and grabbed her arm before she could strike again.</p><p>"Shields!" he exclaimed, pulling her away. "You have to get a hold of yourself! We want to help you, but if you refuse to cooperate, I won't hesitate to-"</p><p>Heather spun and thrust a fist that would have flattened his nose, had he not sheld it just in time with his free hand. She growled and trashed, and threw herself forward, her teeth closing around his arm and <em>chomping </em>down forcefully. Qrow shouted and put his foot to her stomach, and kicked her away before she could tear through his Aura and take off a chunk of flesh.</p><p>"She's like a goddamn animal," Qrow grunted, shaking his arm. "Watch yourself, Yang!"</p><p>"Don't have to tell me," Yang said, standing up. "Come on, Heather… I know you're in there somewhere."</p><p>Heather tensed for another charge, but stopped as Raven flew past and landed behind her. Heather spun to face her, growling at the cold look in her eyes. She turned once again as Vernal came up the ladder from the first floor and took position opposite Yang, leaving the possessed agent surrounded on all sides.</p><p>"You've got nowhere to run, Shields," Qrow said. "Stand down. You don't wanna hurt any more people, do you?"</p><p>"Sadie's waiting for you back home, and so is your husband," Yang said. "I promised them both I'd bring you back and that's what's going to happen."</p><p>Heather hunched down, her lips parting to reveal her teeth.</p><p>"This <em>talking</em> isn't getting us anywhere," Raven said, glancing at Yang.</p><p>"Shut it! She remembered her daughter before," Yang said. "We just have to-"</p><p>Suddenly, Heather charged, choosing Vernal as her target – but she didn't make it halfway to her before Raven caught up and stopped her, wrapping arm around the woman's neck and dragging her backwards. Heather flailed in her hold, but Raven didn't let go, turning to face Yang.</p><p>"You wanted to talk to her," Raven grunted, "so talk to her."</p><p>Yang stared at Heather, suddenly unable to speak as she was faced with those two black orbs. It would have been easier if she could see fury there, hatred, plain hunger, but there was no emotion to be found, just a void.</p><p>"Come on!" Raven shouted. "This was your plan, so go through with it!"</p><p>"I – I don't know what else I can say," Yang stammered. "Heather, you've got to – You're here for a reason, right, 'cause you wanted your family to be safe. And that's all well and good but that doesn't mean much if they lose you anyway. So please stop fighting us!"</p><p>Heather trashed harder against Raven, spit flying from her mouth as she shouted wordlessly. Yang looked to Qrow, begging for help, but he seemed just as lost as her.</p><p>"I don't think there's anything we can say to her, kiddo," Qrow said.</p><p>"So we tried," Raven said. "Now we do things my way."</p><p>"No! We can still take her to Beacon," Yang said. "Vernal, you've still got your ribbon-thing, right?"</p><p>Vernal jumped at the sound of her name, looking away from Heather and fumbling with her belt.</p><p>"You want us to drag this thing kicking and screaming all the way to Beacon," Raven said. "That's madness. We'll never make it there with her. We'll be lucky if she doesn't <em>kill us</em>." She whipped her head around to look at Vernal. "<em>Do not</em> take that out. You know what we have to do."</p><p>"Vernal," Yang said. "She's wrong. We can do this."</p><p>Vernal stood frozen, looking from Yang to Raven with wide eyes. She brought her hand away from her belt, then back to it… and took out the ribbon, her lips moving in a silent apology.</p><p>Raven grimaced, her shoulders dropping as she stared at Vernal – and suddenly there was a hand around her throat, Heather breaking an arm out of her hold and reaching back to grab it. Yang had no time to react, much less Raven, as Heather bent low and, with a strength that was beyond human, heaved Raven over her head and shoved her to the ground.</p><p>A strangled gasp escaped Raven's lips, her eyes rolling back for a second before they focused on Heather again, and she lifted a hand to defend herself, only for Heather to hoist her off the ground, still holding her by the throat, and slam her down again. The floor broke under Raven, and she disappeared in a cloud of dust as she fell through to the first level.</p><p>Before Yang could even think to do anything, Vernal ran for the hole, shouting Raven's name. Heather turned her attention back to her and lunged, and Vernal had but a second to take out her blades and push her away with a gust of wind. Howling in confusion, Heather broke through a pillar and went skidding on the ground, and as debris clouded over the area, the whole building started to shake.</p><p>Yang couldn't bring herself to move, her thoughts overtaken by panic. She wanted to go to Vernal and help her find Raven – she was still down there, and she hadn't made a sound, nothing to indicate she was well or even <em>alive </em>– but Heather was right there, biding her time as she recovered from her stupor – and everything was <em>shaking</em>…</p><p>And then she saw Qrow by the corner of her vision, stumbling back until he was flush against a wall, and he turned his eyes to the sky and startled to mumble something over and over. She barely heard him over the rumble.</p><p>"Don't. Don't. Don't-"</p><p>A terrible screech deafened every other noise, so loud Yang winced and covered her ears. A <em>snap </em>followed, and she looked up just in time to see a steel beam break from the scaffolding on the fifth story. Gravity took hold and it plummeted, breaking through wood and concrete before it reached their floor, tearing another hole just beside Yang. She gasped for air and stumbled away – she would have been crushed if she had been standing but a couple meters to the right.</p><p>"Yang!" Qrow took her by the shoulders and dragged her further away. "You need to get out now! The whole place is coming down any second!"</p><p>"But Raven-"</p><p>"I'll get her out! Go!"</p><p>He shoved her and sprinted to the hole Raven had fallen through, jumping into it without hesitation. Yang looked around, searching for Vernal, but she was nowhere to be seen – she must have jumped down when Yang wasn't looking.</p><p>The noises above her intensified, such a terrible cacophony she couldn't hope to make out a single sound in it. Another smaller beam fell, though it lost speed on the way down and didn't crash through to the ground floor. More and more debris rained down as top half of the building became unstable, filling the air with dust, and Yang swayed back and forth on her feet, torn between going after Qrow and getting away safe-</p><p>And then she saw Heather running on all fours towards the west side, where there was no wall. Yang ran after and tackled her, and they went rolling on the ground, stopping just short of the edge. Heather got up first, towering over Yang and rearing back a hand to claw at her, but Yang acted a second earlier, kicking off the ground and catching Heather by the throat. She stumbled back, her right foot meeting open air-</p><p>And they fell.</p>
<hr/><p>Qrow landed on his feet on the first floor and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the dust in the air – there was so much of it he could barely see anything, and it got worse with every second as more of the building came crashing down.</p><p>Fortunately, he didn't have to look far to find Raven. She was on the floor nearby, out cold, with Vernal knelt beside her, holding up her head slightly off the ground. Qrow crouched beside them. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw Raven's chest rise and fall.</p><p>"She's fine," Vernal said hoarsely, throwing him a swift look. "She's bleeding from the back of her head but it's small. We've got to get her out before this whole thing collapses on us."</p><p>Qrow nodded. "Can we still get out through the front?"</p><p>"Hell if I know! There's no time to-"</p><p>"Go check. I'll stay with her."</p><p>Vernal seemed unsure, but she ran off after a second. Qrow held Raven's head up, and with his free hand took his Scroll out of his pocket – good, it was still working. Instead of his password, he typed out an eight-digit code, and his Scroll flashed red as it sent out an emergency signal to all nearby agents and the city headquarters. He put it away just as Vernal returned.</p><p>"That way's good," she said.</p><p>Qrow nodded. "Help me carry her out of here."</p><p>They each got on one side of Raven and grabbed an arm. As they started to lift her off the ground, she blinked and shook her head slightly. Her eyes found Vernal's, then Qrow's.</p><p>"What-" She winced. "<em>Goddamnit</em>. That fucking bitch!"</p><p>"Easy, Raven," Qrow said. "Building's coming down. We gotta get out."</p><p>Raven grunted and pushed him off. "I can walk on my own." She looked at Vernal, her head swaying back and forth. "Let me go. This is nothing."</p><p>"Raven, you're bleeding. You might have a concussion, too," Vernal said. "You can kill me later, but please don't make this difficult."</p><p>Raven pursed her lips. "That thing caught me off guard. I knew we should have just offed it the moment we found it. It's strong, stronger than it's ever-" She stopped abruptly, turning her head painfully to look around. "Where's Yang?"</p><p>"She's fine. I told her to get out," Qrow said.</p><p>"And you think she's going to just wait for us outside like a good little girl?" Raven said, her voice like a whip. "She's probably fighting that thing right now, and that's <em>not </em>going to end well for her."</p><p>Qrow frowned. He knew Yang could hold her own in nearly any situation, but after what he'd seen Shields – no, not Shields, shewas long gone – what the thing that had taken her body was capable of, he didn't feel so confident about her chances.</p><p>"Vernal," Raven said. "Go help her."</p><p>"What?" Vernal spat. "But you-"</p><p>"She won't be able to do what's necessary," Raven said. "I'm asking you, Vernal. Make sure she doesn't get herself killed."</p><p>Vernal let go of Raven. She looked at Qrow, unsure, and he nodded. Vernal took a step back, casting a lasting look at Raven, before she ran off to the entrance.</p><p>"Alright. That was very noble of you," Qrow said. "Now let's get you out of here."</p><p>He took her arm, but she brushed him away and tried to walk ahead on her own. She didn't make it two steps before her legs buckled and she nearly collapsed.</p><p>"<em>You </em>are going to get yourself killed," Qrow said.</p><p>"I don't need your help!" Raven exclaimed, her voice breaking. "If you lay one finger on me I'll-"</p><p>"Shut up, Rae."</p><p>Qrow tapped the back of her knee with his foot, and she fell backwards. He caught her before she hit the ground, and lifted her up in his arms. She scowled at him, stiff as a board.</p><p>"Let me help you, for once."</p>
<hr/><p>Yang wasn't sure whether she or Heather hit the ground first. It hurt like hell either way, and Yang didn't have time to think about it any longer as they went rolling on the dirt, punches and kicks flying as they tangled with each other.</p><p>Suddenly, Yang felt teeth closing on the flesh of her left shoulder, and she instinctually thrust out her leg with unrestrained force. Heather went flying, but it took her no time to recover once she hit the ground. She charged, such a single-minded viciousness in her movement, it made the hairs of the back of Yang's neck shoot up straight.</p><p>Yang barely stood in time to defend herself. She put her arms before her, grabbing hold of Heather's shoulders, and felt her feet making trails in the dirt as she went skidding back. It felt like she was holding back a charging bull, or a truck, or a thousand trucks-</p><p>Heather threw her whole weight forward, overpowering Yang and lashing out with a fist. Yang's head snapped back, her neck straining with the sudden motion. It wasn't night yet, the colors of twilight creeping in the sky, but she saw stars.</p><p>She heard a roar, and she <em>felt </em>more than she saw Heather lunging at her again. Yang reacted without thinking, righting herself and throwing out a punch. The air ignited around her for a split second, and she felt her fist connect with Heather's chest – an explosion of cataclysmic proportions contained in a square-cube.</p><p>Heather flew for a good five seconds, and then she fell, limp.</p><p>Yang stared, cold seizing her lungs and heart as she found herself unable to breath all of a sudden. The noise of the collapsing building nearby faded in her ears. Her hand felt wet, and she looked down to find her knuckles red with blood, and she felt the contents of her stomach rushing up her throat-</p><p>Heather moved. Her arms twitched, and then she rose, almost <em>floating </em>back to her feet as if tucked along by invisible strings. She looked at Yang from a distance, her mouth opening wide, and a half-growl-half-wail echoed across the distance.</p><p>Yang raised her arms before her. "Heather, please-"</p><p>She barely got a word out, and Heather stumbled forward, blood spluttering from her mouth. She spun around, and Yang saw a familiar crescent blade embedded in the small of her back. Far behind her, framed against the ruins and debris, stood Vernal, her arm extended in a throwing motion.</p><p>"That's for Raven, you fiendish bitch," Vernal growled.</p><p>Yang stepped forward and waved her arms. "Vernal, don't-"</p><p>Vernal closed her hand and pulled it back. Heather staggered forward, screaming from a gurgled throat, as the blade dug deeper into her back and slid upwards, cutting a jagged crimson line on her skin. She threw herself to the ground, and the blade came flying to Vernal's grasp.</p><p>Without a second's pause, Vernal took out her other blade and threw both out. They closed in on Heather from opposite directions, converging as they got closer, until they found their target and sunk into her arms. They would have cut through her neck, if Heather hadn't moved to protect it a second before.</p><p>Yang ran towards Heather without saying a word – she knew Vernal's intentions, but the time for arguing was passed. If she wanted to stop it from happening, she had to act fast and without hesitation.</p><p>She reached Heather and made to tackle and immobilize her – but the woman fell on her own without Yang so much as touching her, hitting the ground with a resounding <em>thump</em>.</p><p>Yang slowed to a halt, staring at Heather with wide eyes. "What just-" She looked at Vernal. "Did you just-"</p><p>Vernal approached, retrieving her blades and putting them away. She stood a few steps from Heather, raising a hand to stop Yang from coming closer. "Watch it. Could be a trick."</p><p>They watched Heather in silence, waiting for her to twitch or stand up or attack them, but her body was unmoving. After a minute, the veins in her face started to fade, like roots retreating back into the earth. Without them, she looked bright and youthful.</p><p>And cold.</p><p>"You did." Yang fell to her knees beside her. "<em>Fuck</em>. You killed her!"</p><p>"I had to." Vernal's lips twisted in a snarl. "I was saving your life."</p><p>"Well congratulations on a job well fucking done!" Yang shouted. "You want me to hand you a trophy, or should I get her husband to do it for me?!"</p><p>Vernal scowled at her, but her callous expression soon broke. "The crystal."</p><p>"<em>What</em>?" Yang spat.</p><p>"Give me the crystal," Vernal said. "She must have it on her."</p><p>Yang almost got up and punched Vernal across the face, but somehow she found the restraint to do as she asked. She patted Heather's pockets, disgusted by the action, until she felt a jagged edge and took out a black crystal. She barely looked at it as she tossed it to Vernal.</p><p>"Happy now?"</p><p>Vernal walked away, covering her eyes with a hand.</p><p>Yang looked down at Heather. She wasn't breathing, her heart had stopped beating, but that didn't mean – that didn't mean she was dead for good, right? There was still hope. There had to be.</p><p>Fighting the panic and dread, Yang tried to recall what she could about this sort of scenario. She must have learned something in class – yes, she had! – and those hundreds of hospital shows on TV had to be good for <em>something</em>. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on Heather's chest, one above the other, and pushed.</p><p>Nothing happened, but that was fine. She pushed fourteen more times, for a total of fifteen - that was the right number, right? - and then breathed into Heather's mouth. Nothing. She repeated the routine, fifteen pushes – was it ten instead? Twenty? - then the breath-thing, and again, and again-</p><p>On one of the pushes, Yang heard a crack. She kicked away from the body, muffling a gasp with her hands. Did she… Did she break a rib? That wasn't good. Or was that fine? Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe she had been doing everything wrong from the start, or maybe there had never been any hope.</p><p>She hugged her knees, staring at the body. With the desperation slowly fading, all she had left to contend with was the despair it left behind. What was she going to tell Heather's husband? What was she going to tell <em>Sadie</em>? What if the girl's whole life was screwed up because of this and it was entirely her fault?</p><p>She stared, and Heather moved. It was just a slight movement, her lips parting wider than Yang had left them. Relief washed over Yang, she nearly <em>cried </em>– but that was quickly supplanted by a cold dread, like when she'd been chasing the demon's trail.</p><p>Somewhere to the side, she heard Vernal shouting at her, but Yang remained magnetized to the spot. A noise came from Heather's throat, a low wheeze that slowly built up until it seemed to come from all around Yang. Something slipped past her lips, a fine black mist, translucent, but in the colors of the twilight it became almost solid in its shape. It towered over the body, over Yang, and it <em>stared </em>at her.</p><p>"Yang!" Vernal screamed, running to her. "Get away from it!"</p><p>Yang jumped to her feet and stepped back, shielding her face with her arms, but it was too late, the mist converging towards her like a typhoon-</p><p>-suddenly Vernal was at her side, the ring in her right hand flashing as she grabbed Yang's wrist-</p><p>-and Yang stood where Vernal had stood a second earlier, holding her wrist, as the mist descended on Vernal and went inside her through her mouth.</p><p>Yang let go. The mist was gone, and the building lay in collapse. Silence reigned.</p><p>"Vernal?"</p><p>Vernal swayed back and forth, her head hanging low. Yang took a step back, and Vernal raised her head to look at her. Dark veins raced up her neck, extending past her chin and spreading across her face like the branches of a tree. The white and blue of her eyes were gone, replaceable by a fathomless black.</p><p>Vernal's fingers curled like claws, and Yang tensed. A moment passed, and Vernal opened her mouth.</p><p>"<em>Don't. Follow.</em>"</p><p>She turned and ran.</p><p>Yang fell to the ground, sitting beside Heather's body.</p>
<hr/><p>"Your reflexes are normal," Qrow said, crouching before Yang. "Think you're just fine."</p><p>Yang mumbled noncommittally. She'd hardly expected she was hurt, but she'd let Qrow check her anyway, if only to alleviate his worries. Also because the shock was wearing off, and she'd take anything to distract her from… everything.</p><p>"What about you?" Yang said numbly. She nodded back to the crumbled building. "You were in there for way longer than me."</p><p>"<em>I </em>didn't get into a fistfight with a demon," Qrow said. He was silent for a moment, turning his Scroll's flashlight on and off before he put it away entirely. "No, I'm just fine. Not a scratch on me."</p><p>Somehow he didn't seem all too happy to make that statement.</p><p>Yang caught a flash of movement to the right of her, and saw a pair of Beacon agents walk past, carrying a gurney between them. They stopped beside Heather's body, covered by a tarp, and carefully lifted it up to the bed.</p><p>"What'll happen to her?" Yang asked.</p><p>"They'll take the body to HQ. There they'll clean it up, make sure it's… presentable," Qrow said. "And then they'll notify her husband."</p><p>"I should be there to talk to him," Yang said.</p><p>Qrow looked at her, brow furrowed. "Why?"</p><p>"Because. I have to explain to him," Yang said. "Everything that happened. How I couldn't keep my promise…"</p><p>"And how would that help anyone?"</p><p>Yang shrugged weakly. "At least they'll have someone to blame."</p><p>Qrow shook his head. "No. You're not to blame for anything that happened here, and even if you were, I wouldn't let you talk to him like this," he said. "You can talk to him when you're ready, but not now. I won't let you."</p><p>Yang could tell him he couldn't stop her if she tried, but she was too exhausted to argue with him.</p><p>"Yang, I know it's too soon, but I hope you can answer a few questions I had about what happened with Vernal," Qrow said.</p><p>He nudged her arm, and Yang nodded hesitantly.</p><p>"Heather," Qrow said. "Vernal killed her, and <em>then </em>the demon jumped to her?"</p><p>"I… I think so," Yang said. "I mean, it wasn't… instant. Not completely? Vernal hit her with her blades, and it hurt her and everything but she was still standing… and then she just dropped to the ground."</p><p>"So, just to make sure," Qrow said. "Vernal attacks Heather. Heather dies. Then the demon jumps to her. Heather was dead when that happened."</p><p>"Yes? I was trying to resuscitate her, so yeah, she was dead," Yang said. "Why does that matter?"</p><p>"Because it doesn't fit with what we know. If Vernal killed Heather, that should have forced the demon back into the crystal," Qrow said. He looked up. "Raven?"</p><p>Raven didn't reply. She'd just been standing there in silence, her back turned to them, since Yang had explained what had happened to her and Qrow. Her head was fine, but that meant little to her.</p><p>"Doesn't wanna talk," Qrow muttered. "Can't blame her."</p><p>"Do you think…" Yang leaned forward a bit, afraid to even look Raven's way. "Do you think she lied to us?"</p><p>"About how to get rid of the demon? No, she was pretty adamant about how we were supposed to do things," Qrow said. "I think there's something else at play here which even she doesn't understand."</p><p>Yang nodded. "So… What do we do now?"</p><p>"<em>We </em>do nothing."</p><p>Raven's voice hit Yang like a brick. She shrank as Raven turned and walked over, staring down at her with cold eyes.</p><p>"<em>You've </em>done more than enough already," Raven said.</p><p>Yang bowed her head. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Are you? For what?" Raven spat. "For failing to do what you were told, or for making me have to kill Vernal now? Be very specific."</p><p>"Raven, that's enough." Qrow stood up. "This is a bad situation but we all need to cool our heads before-"</p><p>She shoved him with a hand to his chest, and Qrow stumbled back, looking at her warily. Raven's eyes never left Yang.</p><p>"You're not sorry. <em>I am</em>. I'm sorry I was so foolish to let you come along when I knew this is what it would lead to," Raven said. "You asked me why I left you? This is why. Because I don't need a mewling child weighing me down at every turn."</p><p>Yang looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.</p><p>"I didn't want you then, and I don't want you now," Raven said. "From now on, stay out of my life."</p><p>She turned and took off, her bird form disappearing against the night sky.</p><p>Yang put her face in her hands and sobbed.</p><p>Qrow crouched beside her, patting her back hesitantly as he looked from her to the direction Raven had gone. Minutes passed as Yang tried to stop herself from trembling, but every time she thought she got herself in order, another sob came and shook her to her core.</p><p>She heard a Scroll ringing, and put down her hands to look. Qrow took his out, visibly irritated, but his expression changed when he saw the caller. He looked at Yang, mumbled something to himself, then walked away to take the call.</p><p>Yang watched, her stomach knotting with anger. She knew it was irrational – it was probably an important call if Qrow was leaving her to take it – but she just wanted him to be there for her. Couldn't the rest of the world wait an hour?</p><p>After a few minutes, Qrow returned. He took the Scroll off his ear and offered it to Yang. "It's for you."</p><p>Yang swallowed a sob. "<em>What</em>?"</p><p>"Just take it."</p><p>He handed the Scroll over, and Yang put it to her ear. "Hi…?"</p><p>There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then she heard a familiar voice. "<em>Hey, kiddo</em>."</p><p>Yang nearly jumped to her feet. "Dad? What – why are you calling Qrow? Do you know…?"</p><p>"<em>Yang, calm down. It's okay. I know that you're in Mistral, and I know why. And apparently there's some stuff going down – I'm not so clear on that part, but I figured </em>something<em> would happen</em>," Taiyang said. "<em>I just checked in at a hotel. Think you can come meet me?</em>"</p><p>Yang looked at Qrow in disbelief. He shrugged, a look on his face that said he was guilty but he didn't feel at all bad about it.</p><p>"<em>I know this is sudden, and you probably have a lot on your plate already, but,</em>" Taiyang said. "<em>Well.</em>"</p><p>He was silent for a while, and Yang waited with her heart in her throat.</p><p>"<em>We have a lot to talk about.</em>"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Special thanks once again to Fell for her ever-gracious beta-ing. This chapter benefited greatly from it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Past Never Gone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yang almost pinched herself as she stepped into the hotel lobby. After everything she'd gone through in just three days – meeting her mother; traveling through planes; fighting a woman possessed by a demon – it was hard to believe there was a place on Remnant so bright and peaceful, where people gathered like everything was normal and would forever <em>stay</em> normal. Was she crazy? Or was everyone else?</p><p>Qrow tapped her on the shoulder, directing her away from the doorway, and nodded towards a waiting area to the right. Yang saw her father stand up from a chair, a smile on his face that was both relieved and concerned, and she almost cried on the spot. She would have, but she'd run out of tears already.</p><p>"Hey, you two," Taiyang said, meeting them halfway. He looked at Yang. "And don't you look like a ball of sunshine tonight…"</p><p>Before she could say anything in response, he pulled her into a hug, and Yang found out she still had a couple tears left in reserve.</p><p>"You okay, kiddo? You look like you've been through a meatgrinder," Taiyang said, letting her go.</p><p>Yang looked down at herself and realized that, indeed, she looked awful. She was covered from head to toe with dirt from the collapse, and her hair was matted with sweat and blood – hers? Where was she bleeding from? Maybe it was someone else's.</p><p>"Maybe I should take you to a hospital," Taiyang said, his smile fading.</p><p>"No!" Yang exclaimed, and winced as she felt half the lobby look her way. "I mean, I'm fine. I'm not hurt or anything, just a little bruised in places."</p><p>"I'll trust you on that," Taiyang said. He looked at Qrow. "You good?"</p><p>"Eh. I'm alive and kicking, thanks for asking," Qrow said. "But I can't stay. Got some loose ends to tie up still."</p><p>"You sure someone else can't handle that?" Taiyang asked.</p><p>Qrow shrugged. "Like the kids say, them's the breaks."</p><p>He nudged Yang, and she turned to face him.</p><p>"Don't go blaming yourself, Firecracker," Qrow said. "Sometimes things go to hell, and that's just the way the universe works. Doesn't mean you're the reason it's that way."</p><p>Yang hugged him. "Be careful, Uncle Qrow."</p><p>"You know me." He patted her on the back, then turned towards the entrance. "Always am."</p><p>He stepped out into the open and walked away from the building. Taiyang passed an arm around Yang's shoulder.</p><p>"There's a lot going on tonight, huh?" he said.</p><p>Yang nodded. "You can say that again." There was a moment of silence, during which Yang could think of nothing but the reason she'd come here. "You said we had a lot to talk about?"</p><p>She almost expected him to ignore her, or to reveal he'd said that just to get her away from everything that was happening.</p><p>"Yeah," Taiyang said, and she felt her chest constrict with nervous excitement. "We should talk about your mom." He looked at the ceiling, and added, "Both of them."</p><p>He turned them around and started walking towards an elevator.</p><p>"But first we should get to our room. Grabbed one on the fifth floor, two beds – the big kind, 'cause I spoil you like that," Taiyang said. "Also, you should take a shower before I barf on the nice carpet."</p><p>They got inside the elevator, and Yang smelled her armpit as it ascended. She detested it, but her dad had a point.</p><p>"Alright, fine," Yang said. "But it'll be a quick one."</p><p>Taiyang chuckled. "Sure it'll be, sweetheart."</p><hr/><p>It didn't take long for Raven to figure out he was following her. She dove low, shifting back as she landed atop a building, and Qrow landed behind her a moment later. He'd barely gotten his senses back when he felt a hand on his chest and he was shoved back, almost tripping over the edge.</p><p>"<em>How</em> did you find me?" Raven said.</p><p>Qrow ventured a look at the sidewalk below, then slowly circled around Raven, getting away from the edge. "Check under your left arm."</p><p>Raven lifted her arm and ran the opposite hand along the bottom. She found the tracker he'd planted on her at the beginning of the day, invisible against the black of her sleeve, and tossed it away with a sneer.</p><p>"Wonderful," Raven said. "I can't even trust my own brother not to spy on me."</p><p>"As if you expected anything less," Qrow said. "If you didn't want me to follow, you shouldn't have dropped the bird form all those times, Sis. You made it easy on me."</p><p>Raven ignored him and started to shift again, but Qrow stepped in fast and grabbed her by the arm.</p><p>"Are you going to be difficult again, or are you gonna work with me to find Vernal?" Qrow said.</p><p>Raven grabbed his wrist and made to twist him, but Qrow took his hand back before she could.</p><p>"I can find her on my own," Raven said.</p><p>"You're flying around the city hoping to catch a trace of Vernal instead of teleporting straight to her, so I get the impression that no, you <em>can't </em>find her on your own," Qrow said. "Or are you going to tell me you're just making things harder on yourself for the fun of it?"</p><p>Raven stood silent for a moment, glaring daggers at him.</p><p>"Our bond is broken," she said curtly.</p><p>Qrow frowned. "What does that mean?"</p><p>"It means she's gone."</p><p>Raven stepped back, getting up on the edge of the roof, her silhouette dark against the lights of the city.</p><p>"I have to find what's left of her and end this," she said. "Go back to your niece, Qrow."</p><p>"Raven." Qrow stepped close to her. "You want to make this right for Vernal. I'm behind that, completely, even if that means killing her. She's your family, which makes her my family as well," he said. "You're going to get my help, Raven, even if you don't want it. That's how family works."</p><p>Raven looked down at him, her eyes cold with disdain. "You're a sentimental idiot," she said. But she did not fly away.</p><p>"Thanks, Sis," Qrow said. "Most people don't see past the gruffy disposition."</p><p>"And the rampant drinking."</p><p>"That, too."</p><p>Qrow heard a ping from his Scroll, and took it out for a quick second.</p><p>"Look, if my <em>sentimental idiocy </em>didn't convince you, maybe Vernal's location two minutes ago will," he said.</p><p>Raven stepped down from the edge. "Tell me where."</p><p>"No. You'll just have to follow me there."</p><p>He hopped off the ground and shifted, flying off to the east side of Haven.</p><p>A minute later, he saw Raven flying on his trail.</p><hr/><p>Yang stepped out of the bathroom clean and fresh, but feeling no less bothered than half an hour ago. As she took the towel off her head, she saw her father sitting on a chair opposite the beds, a knowing grin on his face.</p><p>"Quick littleshower, huh," he said.</p><p>"It wasn't that long," Yang said quietly. She grabbed a comb and sat down at the end of one of the beds. "And I had a lot to think about."</p><p>She started to comb her hair, only to wince as she immediately met the resistance of a knot. She pulled harder, but it was such a thick tangle she only managed to yank her whole head to the side. Groaning, Yang tossed the comb on the bed – the hotel's shampoo and conditioner were less than ideal, and she hadn't really paid any attention to what she was doing in the shower, so her hair was going to stay this way.</p><p>This was just the perfect bookend for the day, really.</p><p>"Sorry you're having a tough time, kiddo," Taiyang said. "You wanna order something from downstairs? I'll pay."</p><p>"I don't feel like eating," Yang said. "Dad, I… I don't think I should be here. This feels wrong."</p><p>Taiyang leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his legs. "Wrong why?"</p><p>"Because here's more important stuff going on!" Yang said. "A woman died in my arms two hours ago, and there's a little girl still waiting for her to come back home. And Vernal's out there and maybe <em>she'll </em>be dead next, and Qrow's searching for her, and I'm… I'm here, all shaken up because, shocker, the woman who abandoned me twenty years ago doesn't like me." She exhaled, rubbing the corners of her eyes. "I feel like a brat."</p><p>"You're not a brat, Yang," Taiyang said. "You're upset, and you're confused, and you've got every right to feel that way. And you deserve to hear the answers to all those questions you must have." He sighed. "You deserved that a long time ago, but here we are."</p><p>Yang couldn't argue with that. Still, she couldn't stop her eyes from straying to the door. The world wasn't going to stop spinning while she dealt with her personal issues.</p><p>"Did I ever get around to telling you and Ruby how me and your mother – Summer, I mean – how we really met?" Taiyang asked.</p><p>Yang looked at him again, surprised. "Didn't you meet in high school?"</p><p>"That was our cover story. Back when you two still thought she was a… what was it you called her, a super-bodyguard?" Taiyang said.</p><p>"Man, we were really naïve," Yang mumbled.</p><p>"You were kids," Taiyang said. "But, we <em>did </em>meet in high school. We were in the same year, but we didn't share a lot of classes, so we didn't really know each other well. Plus, Summer was friendly, but most of us kids had a hard time approaching her – she had this mysteriousness about her, and she'd sometimes disappear for days at a time with no explanation. One time she came back with a big scar on her neck, and me and my friends thought she was in a gang." He shrugged. "So, yeah, don't feel bad about having been naïve once."</p><p>Yang frowned, connecting the odds in her head. "So wait, she was already working with Beacon during high school? Just like Ruby?"</p><p>"Yang, your sister <em>really </em>takes after her," Taiyang said, gesturing impotently between them. "And yeah, that's about as endearing as it is terrifying."</p><p>Yang could only imagine how that felt for him. She knew <em>she </em>had gotten her fair share of Ruby scares over the years.</p><p>"But if you weren't friends then and Mom was off saving the world half the time, how did you two even start dating?" Yang asked.</p><p>Taiyang leaned back and shrugged. "Blind date."</p><p>"Dad," Yang said. "Please don't pull my leg right now."</p><p>"It's the truth!" Taiyang said. "It was two years after graduation. My friends talked me into going on a blind date because I, quote unquote, <em>needed a girlfriend</em>. And a friend of Summer's convinced her to do the same. We met up in a restaurant, realized we already knew each other, we hit it off… And the rest is history."</p><p>Yang's eyes narrowed. "Is it <em>known </em>history, though, Dad?"</p><p>"Touché," Taiyang said, smiling wryly. "A few months after we started dating, Summer told me what she really did for a living, and what she was capable of. Neither of us could stand her keeping secrets any longer, so it just got to a point where that needed to happen, or we were done. So she told me, and she showed me to Beacon, got me a job there – because being an Agent is <em>way cooler</em> than being a cop, she said – introduced me to a few folks-"</p><p>"Wait wait wait, go back. What's that about being a cop?" Yang said, waving her hands.</p><p>"Oh, I forgot to mention that I was attending the academy at that time," Taiyang said. "Did I never tell you I wanted to be a cop when I was younger? I'm fairly sure I told Ruby."</p><p>"That's <em>so unfair </em>that I didn't know!" Yang said, and watched her father wince in dismay. "…That's so much comedic material wasted! You even love donuts!"</p><p>Taiyang sighed in relief. "Right. Sorry, kiddo," he said. "Anyway, I started working for Beacon with your Mom. That's when she introduced me to Qrow – who, by the way, was the friend who convinced her to go on that blind date."</p><p>"Darn, that's also excellent material…" Yang said.</p><p>Taiyang nodded. "And that's when she introduced me to Raven as well."</p><p>Yang fell mute, the brief joy she'd found promptly shot down as she was reminded of how she'd gotten here.</p><p>"Yeah," Taiyang said. "That's where things get complicated."</p><hr/><p>Qrow landed in an alleyway and shifted back. He looked out into the street. It looked like any regular night, the road busy with traffic as people returned home from work or went out to eat, and a few pedestrians occupied the sidewalk. He didn't feel anything in the air either.</p><p>"Shion," Raven said, landing behind him. "This is at the other end of the city relative to Oniyuri. Are you sure your contact had the right information?"</p><p>"Yes, I'm sure," Qrow said.</p><p>"Why would Vernal - <em>the demon</em>, flee all this way?" Raven asked impatiently.</p><p>"I don't know, Raven. You probably have a better idea than me," Qrow said. "Do you sense anything?"</p><p>Raven stepped beside him and closed her eyes. "Nothing," she said after a moment. "How long ago was she sighted?"</p><p>"Just twenty minutes. She crossed this street-" Qrow gestured at the road. "-and went into that alleyway."</p><p>"Continuing east, towards… Higanbana." Raven shook her head. "That'll just take her back around towards Oniyuri. If her objective is to leave the city, then she should be heading down."</p><p>"Maybe she's not fleeing," Qrow said, and was met with a dead silence from Raven. "We can ponder all night about what Vernal's doing, that's not gonna get us any closer to her. Unless you've got a better idea, I say we go the way she went, and hopefully we'll catch her trail."</p><p>Raven didn't dignify him with a response, stepping out of the alleyway. She barely waited for traffic to slow down before she crossed the street, and Qrow went after her, hoping his Semblance wouldn't kick in and send a truck to reduce either of them to mush.</p><p>They entered the alleyway Vernal had taken, navigating the tight space between buildings. Raven took the lead with vigor, and the longer she stayed silent, the more worried Qrow grew.</p><p>"Raven," he called, catching up to her. "We need to talk about what we're gonna do when we find Vernal."</p><p>Raven sent him a glare over her shoulder, and he nearly stumbled from the intensity of it. "Don't fucking start."</p><p>"I'm not talking about not killing her," Qrow said. "I'm saying I should be the one to do it."</p><p>Raven stopped suddenly and turned to face him, and Qrow stopped too.</p><p>"Are you serious?" she asked.</p><p>"You think I'd just throw that out there if I didn't mean it?" Qrow said. "You're too close to her, Raven. I have no doubt that you'd be able to do it, but you shouldn't have to."</p><p>"And you think <em>you </em>can handle that?" Raven said.</p><p>"I've done a lot of harrowing stuff over the years," Qrow said. "This is new, but it isn't unfamiliar."</p><p>Raven stared at him for a moment, before she turned away and sneered.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Qrow said.</p><p>"Nothing. I just can't believe you can say that with a straight face," Raven said. "You see, Qrow, I haven't forgotten why we left the tribe. You were too soft for that life, always sniveling like a baby, so <em>I</em> had to take you away from there before Father got fed up with you for good. And every day after that you clung to my leg like your life depended on it, because <em>it did</em>."</p><p>"That was years ago, Raven," Qrow said, gritting his teeth. "I was just a kid."</p><p>"So was I, Qrow! But <em>you</em> – you haven't changed." Raven spun to face him. "You just traded me for Summer. And when <em>she </em>was gone, you turned to Ozpin. You just do whatever you're told by whoever makes you feel safe, and then you wrap yourself in your drinks and your loneliness and your <em>bad luck</em> so you don't have to face the fact that you've been scared all your life."</p><p>She reached for his flask under his vest and threw it away. It bounced off a wall and fell to the ground with a deafening clank, the whiskey inside spilling in a pool.</p><p>"I know exactly who you are, Qrow," Raven said. "So you don't get to come back into my life, fuck everything up, and then act like you know what's best for me. You don't even know what's best for yourself."</p><p>She stared at him, and it took every drop of strength in him not to punch her in the face and walk away. Oh, he wanted to – he wanted to sprout wings and find the nearest bar, drown himself while she dealt with the mess she'd created. That would be only fair, with the way she treated him.</p><p>Yet somehow, he stayed.</p><p>"Goes both ways, Raven," Qrow said. "I know you too. I know you're scared just as often as I am. And I know when you're terrified, you lash out until everyone's left you." He paused. "I let you go once. I'm not making that mistake again."</p><p>Raven stood silent, a storm raging behind the cold of her eyes. A minute passed, and she turned her back to him and walked ahead. Her voice reached him - quiet, taciturn words.</p><p>"You won't touch her," she said. "Not unless I tell you."</p><p>Qrow nodded and walked after her. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sister."</p><hr/><p>For a while, her father didn't speak. He stared off into a corner, chin in hand, and the seconds ticked on in a dead silence. Yang had the urge to get up and shake him, <em>make him </em>say something, but she could tell he was only quiet because he didn't know how to proceed. Frustrating as that was, she couldn't blame him – if this was a simple matter to discuss, he would have spoken to her about it years ago.</p><p>Finally, he looked at her and spoke. "How much did Qrow tell you?"</p><p>They had been silent for so long, it felt weird to speak again.</p><p>"I'm not sure. I mean, he told me a bunch of stuff, but…" Yang said. "I know he and Raven ran away from the tribe when they were kids, and eventually they started working for Beacon. And then one day Raven just up and left." She pondered on what else she knew, but only one detail stuck in her mind. "She was probably pregnant with me then."</p><p>Taiyang nodded. He turned his chair to face her and took a deep breath.</p><p>"Summer joined Beacon around the same time Raven and Qrow did. They worked directly for Ozpin most of the time, so they saw a lot of each other," he said. "This was before my time, but I'm told they made a tight-knit group after a while."</p><p>"So, Mom… Summer and Raven, they were friends?" Yang said. The concept made perfect sense, she supposed, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.</p><p>"I want to say <em>inseparable</em>, but that's not really true. Maybe on Summer's part, but Raven's never been that kind of person," Taiyang said. "But they were close. I'm pretty sure Summer was the only friend Raven ever made, up until we met."</p><p>"I guess Raven wasn't as... grumpy back then," Yang said, frowning.</p><p>"No, she was always like that," Taiyang said. "But they were friends anyway. That picture I gave you – that used to be Summer's before she passed. She took it herself on some vacation trip she dragged Raven into."</p><p>Yang rubbed her forehead. Magic had been easier to process than <em>this</em>.</p><p>"I'm not going to pretend like I understand how that dynamic worked, but," Taiyang said. "Raven has always been lonely, and she likes it that way. Or at least she pretends she does. But I think for people like her, when they do make a connection with someone – well, that bond has to be pretty strong, right?"</p><p>"I guess that makes sense," Yang said. She could think of a few other people in her life that concept applied to. Or rather, <em>most</em> people in her life. "And that also made you two close, I'm guessing?"</p><p>"Yeah," Taiyang said, something akin to sadness flashing across his face. "I wasn't as close to her as Summer was, but we were… good friends. I stayed in headquarters most of the time, so I guess that made me a convenient person for Raven to jump to when she was coming back from the field. We talked a lot, and I got to know her well. As well as Raven lets anyone know her, anyway."</p><p>He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but no words came out. He pursed his lips, his eyes escaping Yang's once again.</p><p>"I was hoping talking about that would help somehow," he said quietly. "Sorry, sweetheart. I really have no idea how to do this."</p><p>Yang breathed in deep. She opened her mouth to speak, her heart going like a freight train, and she almost lost her resolve before the words left her lips.</p><p>"Dad, did you cheat on Mom?"</p><p>Her father whipped his head around to look at her, eyes going wide. "No!" he exclaimed. "No," he repeated, and his expression softened somewhat. Shame, or something adjacent to that, colored his eyes.</p><p>"Then what happened?" Yang said. Every syllable took a century, and her throat burned in their wake. "Dad, please just tell me. I don't care if it's bad, I just – I just need to know."</p><p>He stared at her, and Yang had never seen him look so fragile before – not even when their house had exploded and he'd ended up in the hospital. Not even when Summer had gone.</p><p>Then in the blink of an eye, he seemed to find a resolve like steel, standing up and sitting down beside her on the bed. He met her eyes and did not look away.</p><p>"Mine and Summer's relationship wasn't as perfect as I may have led you to think," Taiyang said. "Summer was, by all accounts, a wonderful woman, but she had a few… qualities, that made it difficult to be her partner at times. And I did <em>not</em> know how to handle that. I was young, and awful, and gosh I was lucky she put up with me."</p><p>"We dated for seven years. We had our difficulties, but we got through them. But the years went on, things got serious, and then Summer said she wanted to have a kid," he said. "And I completely <em>flipped out</em>. Not because I didn't know that about her – we'd talked about it and we both wanted to have kids, <em>someday </em>– but suddenly it had to be <em>now</em>. And we were young, and she was <em>not </em>going to give up her job even though she nearly died every other week, and – you get the point."</p><p>He sighed, shaking his head.</p><p>"That was too much for me, and instead of working through it, I broke up with her. And then, like an idiot, I just shut her out of my life," Taiyang said. "Those were the most miserable weeks of my life. Spent a lot of nights drowning my sorrows with Qrow. And then one night, Raven shows up instead. We talked for hours, and then one thing led to another…"</p><p>He trailed off, looking at Yang like he expected her to storm off. But she could only stare, much too absorbed in everything she was hearing to even react to it yet.</p><p>"The morning after, I woke up and suddenly - suddenly it was so painfully clear to me how stupidly I had been acting. So I made the best and worst decision of my life," Taiyang said. "I left Raven there, and I ran to Summer's place. I told her what happened, and I begged her to take me back, and I swore that we would make things work this time. And, the saint she was… she did."</p><p>Yang slipped off the bed and walked over to one of the windows, feeling like she might collapse with every other step she took. Staring off into the city lights, she couldn't <em>begin </em>to make sense of her emotions. Everything her father said, it wasn't the stuff of her worst nightmares – not even close – but it still shook her to her core. The only escape was to not think about it, but she couldn't have done that if she tried.</p><p>"And Raven," she said, looking over her shoulder. "What about her?"</p><p>"After that… She acted like her usual self. Stand-offish, cold. We talked, Summer and I and her, and things carried on as normal," Taiyang said. "Now, we <em>could </em>tell something was different about her, and we tried reaching out to her, but that was as good as useless. And then one day Raven left. She just vanished, no warning to anyone but Qrow. We didn't see her for months. And then…"</p><p>He gestured at Yang, a bittersweet smile on his face.</p><p>"And then she showed up on our doorstep," he said, "with you."</p><hr/><p>"Raven, I've got her location!" Qrow exclaimed, putting his Scroll away in a hurry. "Follow me!"</p><p>He didn't wait for a response as he ran past Raven. Jumping off a slope, he shifted and soared above the city skyline, hovering in place for a moment as he caught his bearings. Raven joined him, and they soared east as fast as they could.</p><p>The Higanbana Bridge became visible a couple minutes later, and its shape had barely become defined in Qrow's eyes when Raven shot past him towards it. He understood the hurry a moment later as he felt the unpleasantly familiar sense of the demon take hold of him, and he followed her without hesitation.</p><p>They reached the bridge and landed on the sidewalk. An endless succession of cars sped by them, coming from Shion to the bridge's namesake district, and the other way around. Suspended two hundred meters above a body of water at the base of the mountain, the bridge had little protection from the wind, and Qrow found it difficult to hear anything with it rushing in his ears.</p><p>"She's near!" Raven said, strutting onward with her hand on her sword.</p><p>"Raven, let's not hurry into something we're not prepared for!" Qrow shouted. "We don't know what to expect, and this is hardly the place for a fight!"</p><p>"We don't have much of a choice!" Raven said. "This is it, Qrow. No half-measures!"</p><p>Qrow cursed under his breath. She had a point, but that didn't make their circumstances any less terrible.</p><p>"A fight it is, then," he said, and took out his Scroll. "I need Higanbana Bridge evacuated and shut off on both ends immediately. I am engaging the target on my own – no reinforcements. Keep the local police <em>away</em> at all costs!"</p><p>Raven unsheathed her sword and looked back at him. "This isn't going to be pretty. You saw what the demon did in the body of a regular woman – imagine what it'll be capable of using Vernal's," she said. "I'm going to need your help, Qrow."</p><p>"I'm following your lead," Qrow said. He wished he had packed his sword with him, but he hadn't expected to be fighting Grimm or anything close. That had been a mistake and a half. "Don't let it grab you."</p><p>"I won't," she said, looking ahead. She spun her sword in her hand, her fingers white around the handle. "We don't know how resilient that thing will be with Vernal's Aura. We'll have to wear it down, keep its attention split between the two of us. I'll strike when the time is right, and if that doesn't work-"</p><p>Qrow nearly crashed into Raven as she stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the sidewalk, her sword slowly lowering as she stared in shock. Qrow followed her line of sight, and felt his heart sink like a rock.</p><p>"She's not running," Raven muttered.</p><p>Twenty meters ahead of them, Vernal climbed onto the side of the bridge and stepped atop the edge.</p><hr/><p>"With me," Yang said, her voice ringing hollow in her ears.</p><p>Her father nodded. "With you," he said. "You were just days old. So small, but you already had so much hair… And the giggles! I've never met a baby gigglier than you used to be. Oh, and the <em>crying</em>!"</p><p>He chuckled, his smile fading as he saw the helpless look on her face.</p><p>"We figured out what was going on pretty quickly. I mean, it was obvious – she didn't have to say much," Taiyang said. "Raven… She asked, practically <em>begged</em> us to take you and raise you, because she didn't know how. Because she <em>couldn't</em>. A bunch of reasons, and she was so distraught, I can't really remember exactly what she said."</p><p>"And I was going to help her. Obviously, I was going to. And Summer felt the same way," he said. "We tried to get Raven to stay, work out some way that she could raise you as well, but there was no getting through to her. She put you in Summer's arms and she left. And that's the last time I saw her."</p><p>Yang turned around. She leaned against the wall behind her and took a deep breath.</p><p>"Is there anything else I should know?" she asked.</p><p>"If I knew anything more, I'd tell you, but I'm afraid that's it for me," Taiyang said. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long. I should have told you all of this much sooner."</p><p>"Why <em>didn't</em> you?" Yang said, anger breaking through the exhaustion and confusion. "Twenty years, Dad. I didn't even know her name until I was eighteen! I mean, at that point, why even tell me Summer wasn't my biological mom? What was even the point if you were going to keep me in the dark all my life?"</p><p>"Because I thought I was doing what was best for you," Taiyang said.</p><p>"Oh gee, and that worked wonders, didn't it?" Yang said, throwing her hands up. "Look at me, I'm so well-adjusted I traveled halfway around the world just so I could get told I'd be more appreciated if I didn't exist in the first place! I'm all sunshine and rainbows over here!"</p><p>Taiyang sighed.</p><p>"The plan <em>was </em>to tell you the full story when you got older. And I should have stuck to that," Taiyang said. "But then we lost Summer, and suddenly I had to raise two girls all on my own. And I don't say this as an excuse, Yang, because it's not. But I was so scared I was going to screw everything up. I was scared you'd hate me and you'd have no one to look up to. I thought I had to be the perfect role model, because that's what you deserved." He shook his head. "I know now that I was protecting myself as much as I was protecting you."</p><p>"You told me you loved her," Yang said. "Who were you protecting when you said that, Dad?"</p><p>"I… Maybe I shouldn't have said that. But I wasn't lying. I never loved Raven like I loved Summer, but..." Taiyang said. "I never blamed her for leaving you with me. First because, well, that was the best gift anyone's ever given me. And also… I never believed she did that out of selfishness. I think she truly believed she was only doing the best for you then, and that doing that hurt her deeply."</p><p>"Hurt her? I'm sorry, but your memory must be failing you," Yang said. "She told me to my face that she never wanted me. She couldn't have been clearer about that."</p><p>"But she had you anyway, didn't she? And she could have just left you on our doorstep," Taiyang said. "If she didn't want you, she definitely wouldn't have bothered to name you."</p><p>Yang flinched. Raven had named her? That couldn't possibly be true, but looking at her father's face, there was no denying it was.</p><p>"That-" she said, sucking in a big gulp of air. "That doesn't matter. So what, she gave a name to a baby. What an excruciating ordeal. She didn't do anything else!"</p><p>"You're right, of course. But maybe that means something anyway," Taiyang said. "That's up to you to decide."</p><p>"Awesome. It's great that you think I'm enough of an adult now to make those decisions. That's really very thoughtful of you, Dad."</p><p>He shrunk, and Yang felt like screaming her head off. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she was in no place to be protecting them at the moment.</p><p>"This is too much," Yang said. "I need some fresh air."</p><p>She pushed off the wall and made for the door, hearing a faint apology from her father as she walked past him. She stopped for a moment, torn between accepting that apology or brushing it off with another heated retort. In the end, she just left the room, the door shutting behind her with a loud <em>click</em>.</p><hr/><p>"-down. This doesn't have to end this way."</p><p>Raven only caught the end of what Qrow was saying. She blinked, the shock of seeing Vernal fading and being replaced instantly by a cold hand around her heart. She walked forward, quicker with every step, until she stood beside her brother before Vernal.</p><p>She looked up, and froze again. Eyes of black stared down at her, darker than the night itself, but with every sway, the faintest shade of blue seemed to color them, before it vanished again. Vernal was anything but still, her body jerking back and forth, as if it were being piloted by two opposing beings, and Raven flinched every time Vernal went backwards. Just a couple centimeters more, and she'd go past by the edge and plummet to the water below.</p><p>"Raven," Vernal spoke. Her voice was strained, only barely discernible from the grunts of an animal. "I… was hoping you wouldn't find me."</p><p>It took Raven a second to find her voice. "But I did." She stepped forward. "Vernal. Step down from the edge."</p><p>"I can't," Vernal said, shaking her head. "I have to do this."</p><p>"Why, Vernal?" Qrow asked. "Why do you have to jump off?"</p><p>With the bridge closed off, the road slowly emptied of all vehicles. That only left the wind to pierce the silence, and as loud as it was, Raven could hear nothing but the beat of her own heart.</p><p>Vernal lifted her right hand, and raised two fingers to show she was gripping the crystal. She held it so tight it was cutting into her palm, the blood spilling down her arm and dripping off her elbow.</p><p>"I jump off. I hit the water. I die," she said, shuddering at the last word. "It goes back into the crystal. The crystal sinks to the bottom. No one ever touches it again."</p><p>"That sounds a little extreme, Vernal," Qrow said. "We have ways to secure the crystal. Ways that don't involve you killing yourself."</p><p>"But I'd still have to die," Vernal said, looking at him. "Right?"</p><p>Qrow grimaced. He looked to Raven for help, but she had no eyes for him.</p><p>"You don't understand," Vernal said. "This thing… It's dying. With every second, it's fading away. The only way for it to survive is to take someone's else strength. But no one – no one could ever be strong enough."</p><p>She lunged forward, almost falling onto the sidewalk, only to stop and pull back.</p><p>"Even now… It's fighting me," Vernal said. "It doesn't wanna go back. And it really, really doesn't wanna die."</p><p>"Maybe you don't have to die," Raven said, her voice startling even her.</p><p>Vernal turned her head to stare at her, her face twisting in confusion and surprise. Raven dropped her sword in front of her, and raised her open hands.</p><p>"You don't have to die," Raven repeated. "Qrow can help you. Beacon can. You just have to come with us. Look at you, you've resisted its influence so far. You can keep doing that until we get you to a safe space."</p><p>Slowly, Vernal's lips curled in a pained smile. "That's not what you were preaching before, Raven."</p><p>"Yes, well, it wasn't you before!" Raven shouted.</p><p>Vernal didn't speak. Her smile faded, and she took a step back, swaying as half her foot hung off the edge.</p><p>"You don't have to do this, Vernal," Raven said, shaking. "Please. At least… Let me do it for you."</p><p>She wouldn't. She'd never. But if Vernal believed her and stepped down, she and Qrow could subdue her before she caught on to their intentions.</p><p>But Vernal saw through her ruse, because how couldn't she?</p><p>"Vernal." Raven stepped forward, reaching out. "Take my…"</p><hr/><p>"…<em>hand."</em></p><p>
  <em>The girl stared up at her, teeth bared and gritted like a wild animal's. The storm poured onto her, leaving her hair plastered to her forehead. Mud and blood ran down her arms and under her shirt.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Raven saw her tense, and moved well in advance. The girl lunged at her, flashing a knife, but a simple push sent her back to the bottom of the ditch. She stepped over the knife and took it, turning it in her hands with mock interest.</em>
</p><p>"<em>That was foolish. Even if I hadn't seen that coming, what would you have done once you stabbed me?" Raven said. "A simple bleed wouldn't have put me out. How were you planning to overpower an opponent twice your size, hmm?"</em></p><p>"<em>Give it back!" the girl screeched. "It's mine!"</em></p><p>"<em>I don't think it is anymore," Raven said, and put the knife away behind her.</em></p><p>
  <em>The girl lunged at her again, screaming something about how she was going to kill her. Raven shoved her down once more.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Keep doing that, and you'll end up hurt," Raven said, and the girl, about to charge at her again, stopped immediately. "Good. Maybe you're not as dim-witted as I first thought."</em></p><p>
  <em>She nodded for the girl to stand up straight, and hesitantly the girl obeyed. Raven looked her up and down. Scrawny, but she had some muscle in her. And scars. Too many scars for her age.</em>
</p><p>"<em>The people who left you here," Raven said. "Are they coming back for you?"</em></p><p>
  <em>The girl scowled. "That's none of your business."</em>
</p><p>"<em>Normally I'd agree with you, but if I'm going to bring you with me, I want to know what trouble that'll cause me," Raven said.</em></p><p>"<em>Bring me with you? Where?" the girl said, drawing back.</em></p><p>"<em>My tribe is not far from here. The food is awful, and the company isn't what I'd call stellar," Raven said. "But it's better than dying on the side of the road."</em></p><p>"<em>Why are you doing this?" the girl asked. "What do you want from me?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Raven pursed her lips. She didn't know why she'd stopped to help this girl. She wasn't in the custom of rescuing children from their sorry fate. She wasn't a saint, and if she were one, she'd die old before she made any difference.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I don't know," she said. "Maybe you'll give me a reason."</em></p><p>
  <em>Raven offered her hand again, but the girl didn't move. There was hope in her eyes, but more than that there was fear – the kind that only someone who had been burned too many times before could know.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I'll make this simple for you. You have two options," Raven said. "Option number one, you can stay afraid, and refuse. I'll leave you here, where you'll either die of starvation or sickness, or maybe someone less indifferent than me will come along and you'll die of that instead. Or, option number two… You can be strong, and take my hand."</em></p><p>
  <em>The girl stared at her, tears mixed in with the raindrops on her cheeks. Trembling, she stumbled forward and took Raven's hand.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A memory came to Raven, of stubby fingers curling around her own, and lilac eyes staring at her with the warmth of a sun. And another memory, a painfully recent one, of the same eyes staring with sadness and quiet conviction as a coffin was lowered into the ground.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Why are you staring at me like that?" the girl asked, bringing Raven back to the present.</em></p><p>"<em>Raven," she answered. "My name's Raven."</em></p><p>"<em>Okay." The girl frowned. "Mine's-"</em></p><p>"<em>It doesn't matter," Raven said. "Where we're going, you can choose a new one."</em></p><hr/><p>Raven held her hand out. She stared at Vernal, pleading with her eyes, hoping that somehow that would get through to her.</p><p>"Vernal," she whispered. "Please don't leave me."</p><p>She saw a tear stream down Vernal's face, and she nearly broke herself.</p><p>Suddenly, like a switch had been turned off, Vernal's body went slack – except for her hand, which gripped the crystal even tighter. She gasped, bowing her head, and looked at Raven.</p><p>"I can do this," Vernal said.</p><p>Her lips moved in a silent <em>thank you</em>, and she stepped back and fell.</p><p>Raven dashed forward, jumping over the edge and reaching out with her hand, but Vernal was far below her, plummeting fast towards the water. Raven shifted, flying towards Vernal with a burst of speed, and as she closed in, she shifted back and reached out with her hand-</p><p>Vernal hit the water, and Raven hit it a moment later. Her Aura protected her from the impact, but it did nothing for the dizziness it caused. As her eyes adjusted, she saw bubbles all around her, and red, so much red, and a broken silhouette sinking past.</p><p>Raven grabbed Vernal and swum to the surface. She gasped for air, and looked down at Vernal. Lifeless eyes stared back at her. Raven pressed their foreheads together, a sob wracking her body.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"</p><p>Vernal's hand opened, releasing black shards into the water. Unnoticed, they sunk towards the bottom…</p><hr/><p>The front of the hotel was noisy, and even though it was past ten, there were still a few people passing by or entering and leaving the building. Still, just the open air felt like a wonder to Yang. She was a little embarrassed that the hotel staff could see what a wreck she was, but that couldn't be helped.</p><p>"Yang?"</p><p>She looked behind her and sighed as she saw her father exit the building. "Dad. I know you're worried, but I just need some time to think. Please?"</p><p>"It's important," Taiyang said, and raised his hand to show her Scroll, its screen flashing red. "You left this in your room. That's still the emergency signal, right?"</p><p>"Yeah? But, uhm, that's for Beacon stuff. Not my jurisdiction, or whatever they call it," she said.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure your uncle's in trouble," Taiyang said. "Probably your mother too."</p><p>Yang took the Scroll and unlocked it. She stared at it for a moment, her face paling.</p><p>"Well?" her father asked.</p><p>She looked at him. "How far is Higanbana Bridge from here?"</p><hr/><p>Qrow ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He leaned on the side of the bridge, staring down at the water. He couldn't make anything out from such a height, not even specks, but he didn't have to see to know.</p><p>He pushed away from the edge, wincing as his hand scraped against something. He shook it and looked at his palm, seeing a tiny black shard embedded in it. Frowning, he looked at the place where Vernal had just stood, and atop the blood which had spilled from her hand, he saw dozens more of the same black shards. He hadn't gotten a good look, but add them all together, and they might account for half the-</p><p>Realization hit him like lightning. He fished out his Scroll and typed out the emergency code, and just as his finger left the last digit, a red light shone over him from behind.</p><p>Qrow turned, and saw Raven standing in the middle of the road, veins spreading across her face. Red eyes turned black, and she lunged.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I Burn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Qrow jumped back, landing atop the side of the bridge. Raven – the demon inside Raven – swiped at where he'd just stood, her hand passing through empty air. She jumped to his level, a low growl rumbling in her throat as she stepped towards him, and he edged away from her, waiting for the next strike.</p><p>"Come on, Raven. You're stronger than this," Qrow said. "That thing can't control you if you fight back."</p><p>Raven bent low, staring at him with dark eyes. If there was any human emotion in there, Qrow couldn't discern it from the hunger of the demon.</p><p>"You can stop this right here, right now. Like Vernal tried to," Qrow said. "Are you really going to let her sacrifice be in vain?"</p><p>She leapt and swiped at him again, her fingers missing his face by a hair. Qrow leaned back, swaying at the edge and nearly falling off the bridge.</p><p>"Forget diplomacy, then," he said, righting himself and carrying the momentum into a punch. Raven took the blow squarely on her cheek, the impact knocking her off the edge onto the sidewalk below.</p><p>Qrow jumped back down, and in that brief second he took his eyes off her, Raven grabbed him by the ankle and stood up. She pulled him off his feet and swung him around, his head bouncing off the ground, and released him at the apex. He crashed against the railings in the middle of the road, gasping violently as all the air escaped from his lungs.</p><p>Raven was on him again immediately, thrusting a fist towards his head, and he had less than a second to duck under it. With nowhere to run, Qrow crouched even lower and tackled her to the ground. Knowing that she would barely be phased, he didn't waste an instant getting up and jumping over her, running at full speed towards where she'd dropped her sword before Vernal had fallen.</p><p>He grabbed it just in time and spun around, swinging blindly as Raven pounced on him again. The blade pushed against her Aura for a moment, before it pierced through and cut a line across her upper left arm. Raven shrieked and stumbled back, looking at the blood as if she didn't understand it, except for the pain it caused. And then she looked at him again, and Qrow felt a chill run down his spine.</p><p>He raised the sword to try and keep Raven at a distance, but she moved faster than he could follow, dashing to his left and smashing his hand against the hilt of the blade. The sword went flying, falling on the road meters away and bouncing out of reach. Not that he could have tried to recover it – in an instant, Raven grabbed him by the throat and shoved him to the ground, holding him there.</p><p>Qrow tried to push himself up, but he was paralyzed under Raven's grasp – he would have had more success pushing a mountain off of him. He wrapped his hands around Raven's wrist and looked her in the eyes, but there was nothing there. Dark dots filled his vision…</p><p>Where was his damned luck when he needed it?</p><p>Suddenly, a bright light blasted onto them from above. Raven turned her head away, grunting, and the pressure on Qrow's neck lightened just a smidge. Gritting his teeth, he pulled back both his feet and kicked her in the belly, finally getting her off of him. As she fell on him again, Qrow shifted into a bird, and flew around her and outside her reach.</p><p>Qrow flew upwards, watching as Raven whipped her head around searching for him, and landed atop one of the bridge's support cables. He shifted back and looked up. A Beacon helicopter hovered above the bridge, shining its floodlight on the road. He took out his Scroll.</p><p>"<em>Agent Branwen</em>," a voice greeted him. "<em>You activated Code Red. Do you require reinforcements?</em>"</p><p>Qrow looked down at Raven. She'd stopped searching for him, and was now turned towards the east end of the bridge, looking at the distant lights of the police blockade.</p><p>"No. The target's too dangerous to be approached." Qrow said. He couldn't risk bringing any more agents into this. If Raven got her hands on any of them for even a second, they'd be done for. "I need you to keep the bridge clear, and evacuate all civilians from the vicinities."</p><p>"<em>We are working on that</em>."</p><p>"I'm re-engaging the target," Qrow said. "If either of us falls, you are not to interfere."</p><p>"<em>Agent Branwen?</em>"</p><p>"Just do as I tell you."</p><p>He shut off his Scroll and flew back down to Raven. She spun around as he landed behind her, her lips curving in a snarl.</p><p>"So, Sis. All that anger you carry about me weighing you down when we were kids?" Qrow said. "I think it's time for some physical therapy."</p><p>He rolled his shoulders and took a defensive stance.</p><p>"And you. The thing inside her. I know she's one hell of a brute, but you and I-" he cracked his knuckles "-we could do a lot of damage together."</p><hr/><p>"Okay, this is as far as I'll take you," the taxi driver said, stomping on the brakes to stop the car. "You sure there's not someplace else I can drop you?"</p><p>Yang leaned forward to look past the hood of the car. A police blockade flooded the road with blinking red and blue lights, and sirens echoed nonstop. She could see the shape of the Higanbana Bridge a handful streets past that, with two helicopters hovering above it with blinding floodlights.</p><p>She gave her father a look, and he shrugged from the passenger's seat.</p><p>"Yeah, this is where we get off," Yang said, looking at the driver. "Unless you wanna take some extra cash and run that blockade for us?"</p><p>The driver's face twisted in a scowl. "The twenty-five for the ride will be enough, miss."</p><p>She got out of the car, as did her father. He took his wallet out and handed over a fifty-lien bill through the window. "Keep the change," he said. "And get far away from here."</p><p>The driver didn't have to be told twice, turning the car around and driving away without a word of protest.</p><p>"Think they're evacuating the area," Taiyang said as they walked towards the blockade. "Whatever's going on, it's something serious."</p><p>"And Uncle Qrow's involved," Yang said. "I need to get to him, Dad, but you're not coming with me. It's too dangerous. But can you help me get past the blockade?"</p><p>Her father stopped for a moment, frowning as he looked at the bridge. He sighed and rubbed his nose, then turned to her.</p><p>"I know you'll do everything to help Qrow," he said. "But don't do anything <em>too</em> rash, okay? You know he wouldn't want you to."</p><p>"Sure," Yang said, faintly nodding.</p><p>"Okay." Taiyang turned towards the police. "I've forgotten the secret handshake, but I think I can run ahead and distract them. You wait a couple minutes, and then… do your thing."</p><p>Yang let him walk ahead and watched as he engaged one of the policemen at the blockade. She couldn't hear a word of it, but it looked like a lively conversation, especially as Taiyang started to gesticulate wildly at random objects in the street. Another two policemen joined them, and he only got louder and began stomping on the road over and over.</p><p><em>Guess he learned from the best</em>. Yang took a slight step backwards, then burst forward in a dash towards the blockade. The policemen noticed her much too late, turning their eyes away from Taiyang to see her land on the hood of one of the cars and jump off, continuing her sprint in the direction of the bridge.</p><p>"Hey, you can't do that!" one of the policemen yelled and started towards her. "Turn around! This area is under-"</p><p>Taiyang gasped and grabbed the man's arm, yanking him back. "What is the meaning of this? Why can she pass and I can't? My children are starving, and I'm stuck here, being discriminated against!"</p><p>"Sir-"</p><p>"No, I demand to talk to your superior!"</p><p>The shouting faded behind her as Yang ran. Another blockade stood in her path at the bridge entry, two police cars, but with no one present nearby to guard them. She didn't stop to consider why, jumping over and entering the bridge itself.</p><p>She looked up at the helicopters – they were aiming their lights near the middle of the bridge, and she assumed there to be where the action was happening. As she got closer, she felt a coldness surge from her stomach and spread to the rest of her body, and her arms and legs started to tingle. She almost stopped and lowered herself to the knees, suddenly short for air, but she pushed through and kept moving.</p><p>When she got there, she wished she had stopped.</p><p>Qrow lay in the middle of the road, propping himself up with his hands. He was turned away from her, so Yang couldn't see his face, but the way he trembled and how his chest rose and fell told her everything.</p><p>And standing before him was Raven, black eyes and black veins, and blood dripping from her knuckles. She walked towards him, one measured step at a time, almost as if she delighted in her slow approach.</p><p>Yang stood paralyzed.</p><p>And then she saw Raven stop in front of Qrow and raise her hand, and she <em>exploded</em>, crossing the distance in an instant while a scream tore free from her lungs. Raven looked up a second too late, Yang driving a foot into her chest, and she went flying, hitting the side of the bridge with the small of her back and falling off it.</p><p>Yang breathed hard, her hands trembling. She watched as Qrow rose to his feet, wiping a speck of blood from his lips as he looked back at her.</p><p>"Yang," he muttered. The skin under his left eye was beginning to darken. "You shouldn't be here."</p><p>"<em>I</em> shouldn't be here? Look at you, you're half-dead!" Yang yelled. "What the hell is going on? Raven-"</p><p>"Raven's possessed. As you surely noticed." Qrow looked at the spot Raven had fallen. "We don't have time to talk. She'll come back any moment now, and you need to be gone before she does."</p><p>"I'm not going anywhere," Yang said. "You tell me what's happening. Where's Vernal – what happened to her?"</p><p>Qrow grimaced. "Vernal's dead. We tried to save her, but… she jumped. She was trying to put the demon back in the crystal for good, but the crystal's broken, so that did nothing."</p><p>Yang faltered. Vernal was dead. Because of her.</p><p>"What do you mean the crystal's broken?" she said, pushing back her hair. "How is that possible?"</p><p>"Don't know. Demon broke it," Qrow said. "Probably realized it was strong enough to do that with Vernal. Or maybe it's just been growing stronger all this time."</p><p>"Okay, so what does that mean? What's the plan for stopping that thing?" Yang asked. "You did have a plan, right?"</p><p>Qrow looked at her and, realizing she wasn't going anywhere, sighed.</p><p>"The demon doesn't have a prison to go back to when its host dies, but it still needs a host. Without one, it'll just die. Vernal said something about it needing to feed off a person's strength to stay alive," he said. "So the plan, Yang, is to get it out of Raven and starve it."</p><p>"Starve it," Yang said. "That's why they're evacuating the area? Demon leaves Raven's body, it has no one else to jump to, it dies." She paused. "But what about you?"</p><p>"Look at the shape I'm in." Qrow grinned darkly. "I ain't gonna last two seconds if it jumps into me. Worst case scenario, it gets me, it's still doomed."</p><p>"No. No way you're sacrificing yourself," Yang said, shaking her head. "That thing isn't taking over anyone else. We're gonna get it out of Raven, and then we're gonna book it. The end."</p><p>She swallowed dry, the full reality of what that plan entailed sinking in.</p><p>"That means we've gotta kill her, right?" she said.</p><p>Qrow nodded, the conviction in his eyes fading for a moment. "We kill her, or we exhaust her 'til she's dead," he said. "No way around it."</p><p>The bridge shone red, a portal opening above it for a split second. Raven landed on the road, dripping wet, and slowly rose to stare at the both of them. She leaned forward, the demon's malicious aura washing over Yang.</p><p>"Okay. We've got no other choice," Yang said. "We'll do one of those, then."</p><p>Raven charged, as did Yang. They met in the middle, the force of the clash nearly sending Yang off her feet, but she planted them on the road and held firm.</p><p>Raven's blows came too fast, her arms a blur of motion as she struck at Yang again and again. Without the time to dodge, Yang absorbed every hit and waited for a window of opportunity to strike back, but that was easier said than done. She could barely think under Raven's assault, her very bones rattling with the relentless shockwaves. Fighting a possessed Heather had been arduous enough, and the effect was ten times worse for Raven.</p><p>Plus, it was one thing to fight a stranger, even one she was determined to save. It was another to fight her own mother. She had no love for the woman, and she knew those eyes weren't Raven's, but that didn't make it any easier to raise her fist.</p><p>But Qrow seemed to have worked through that conflict already before she arrived, as he came running to Yang's side and punched Raven across the face. Her head snapped to the side and she stumbled back, but when she stopped and turned her eyes to Qrow, she looked no worse for it.</p><p>Raven jumped towards him, and Yang moved in instinct, putting herself between the two of them. She blocked Raven's fist with her right arm and, all hesitation gone, spun around into a roundhouse kick. Her foot connected with Raven's cheek, and as she staggered to the side, Yang struck again, kicking her directly in the chest, and Raven went reeling backwards.</p><p>"So we've got a plan," Yang said. "Do we have <em>another</em> plan for how to execute that one?"</p><p>"I've got an idea," Qrow said, stepping back. "You hold her off. I'll be back in a minute."</p><p>"What do you mean – you're just gonna leave me here with her?!" Yang said, her eyes widening as she watched Raven steady herself and come running back towards her.</p><p>"I've gotta fetch something," Qrow said, and flew away in bird form.</p><p>"Motherf-"</p><p>Raven tackled Yang, and the two crashed hard on the ground. Raven entangled her fingers in Yang's hair and yanked her head up, then slammed it down on the road. She pulled again to repeat the motion, but Yang gritted her teeth and grabbed Raven's arm, stopping her. She threw her weight to the right to roll them over, but before she could get on top, Raven shoved her off with a kick.</p><p>Yang skidded to a halt, and raised her head just in time to see Raven throwing a punch towards her. She stepped aside, barely dodging the attack, and as Raven lurched past her, Yang quickly moved behind her and wrapped an arm around her belly and elbows. Shouting, Raven tried to turn around, but Yang brought her other arm up and grabbed Raven's hair, holding it to keep her faced away from her.</p><p>Demon Raven did not take kindly to being immobilized, trashing in all directions and trying to sink her teeth into Yang's arm, which thankfully was just out of her reach. Yang couldn't hope to keep her still, so she followed Raven wherever she threw her weight and held on with all the strength in her.</p><p>Eventually Raven realized she wasn't going to get free by brute force alone, and changed strategies, maneuvering them both until they were in front of a pillar, and lunged backwards, crushing Yang against it. Yang gasped and coughed, almost losing her grasp on Raven's hair. Raven jerked back and forward without mercy, every impact harder than the last.</p><p>Just as Yang thought she was going to lose her grip, Raven swung them forward again, and stopped. Yang winced, waiting for the next collision, but it never came.</p><p>"That's right." She breathed out, resting her forehead against the back of Raven's neck. "Settle down…"</p><p>Now if only Qrow would show up already.</p><p>She felt Raven stir, and a familiar tingle prickled the small of her back. It took a moment to remember where she'd felt it before – and as she looked up and saw a portal open in front of her, her face paled.</p><p>"No. No no no no-"</p><p>Raven jolted forward, and they went hurtling through the red vortex.</p><hr/><p>"Where is it? Where the hell – there!"</p><p>Qrow practically threw himself to the floor, reaching under a railing and getting Raven's sword out of there. He turned it in his hand as he rose to his feet, grimacing as he considered what he was going to use it for. But there was no time for doubt – Yang was locked in combat with Raven as he dallied, and a minute more without his help might spell her death.</p><p>He clutched the sword tight and shifted, quickly flying back the way he'd come. But as he passed the middle of the bridge, where he'd left Yang and Raven, he saw nothing. The road, as far as he could see in both directions, was deserted.</p><p>"Yang?" Qrow called out as he landed, but no response came. He didn't hear fighting either. Had they fallen off the bridge while he'd been gone?</p><p>He started to walk towards the edge, but stopped as a prickling sensation spread from the back of his neck. He turned around and looked at the road, empty – but it hadn't been moments before.</p><p>"…Shit."</p><hr/><p>Yang hit the ground.</p><p>Or at least she thought she did, because she couldn't see a thing. It certainly felt like she'd fallen on solid ground, but when she looked down, she saw nothing but black. Even as she stood up and waved her fingers in front of her face, she couldn't see anything.</p><p>Panic seized her. She was blind. She was never going to see again. She had been taken somewhere and she was going to die here and she would be alone and she would never know-</p><p>Something struck her in the back of her neck – a fist – and she went tumbling face-first into whatever lay beneath her. She tried to catch herself and get back up, but a kick to her stomach sent her sprawling on her back, and then her assailant fell upon her, mauling at her chest with claw-like fingers.</p><p>"Get…" Yang pulled an arm back and swung it around brutally, batting the creature off of her. "…off!"</p><p>She jumped to her feet and shouted, fists clenched, and fire spiraled around her , piercing the darkness for a precious few seconds. Her eyes widened – she wasn't blind. There was just no light in this place. No light at all.</p><p>So she'd have to make her own.</p><p>Yang thrust her arms out to the sides, focusing on that distant heat inside of her. For a moment, nothing happened, and she only felt the heat grow fainter in her mind. But she refused to let go of it, pushing aside the pain and exhaustion to grab it in her hands, and <em>pulled</em>.</p><p>Like wine from an uncorked bottle, the flames came pouring out, swirling around her skin like a second Aura. She puffed out her chest, and the fire extended beyond her, shining upon the darkness surrounding her. She still couldn't see much, the dark so thick it was like a living force, meeting the fire and squashing it before it revealed what lay in the void.</p><p>But it was light. And as Yang slowly turned in place, she saw Raven's sickly face at the edges of it, staring at her like a cowed animal. But as they met eyes, the fear vanished, and Raven pounced.</p><p>Yang raised her arms to shield her face. Embers jumped off her as Raven met her defense with a punch. The impact was dull, the pain an afterthought. She kicked Raven away, and followed her trajectory to smack her into the ground.</p><p>Before she could make contact, Raven found her balance and turned around, running off into the darkness. Yang skidded to a halt.</p><p>"Seriously, you're gonna run away now?" she shouted. "Get back here, you-"</p><p>Suddenly, Raven came running from the right and swiped her nails across the small of Yang's back. Yang spun to grab her, but Raven jumped back and disappeared in the shadows.</p><p>"Oh this is cute," Yang said. "Can't fight me like a real demon so you're gonna pull this cheap shit now. Just wait until I get my hands-"</p><p>She caught a speck of movement to her left, and turned to grab Raven before she could strike her – but the attack came from the other side. Unprepared as she was to take the hit, she fell to her knees and didn't even see Raven before she was gone again.</p><p>Raven came out of the shadows, smashing her knee into Yang's face as she stood up.</p><p>And again, from the left, kicking her on her side and sending her sprawling.</p><p>A foot on the back of her head, slamming her nose into the ground.</p><p>"<em>That's enough</em>!" Yang shouted, jumping to her feet and turning instinctually. She looked into the darkness, locking onto Raven with a sense that went beyond sight or hearing, and launched a soaring flame from an outstretched fist.</p><p>The fire pierced through the darkness, visible for but a moment before it was engulfed in it. Yang heard an inhuman shriek, and lowered her hands. The flames around her shrunk, but became no less intense.</p><p>"This is it. If there's any small part in your primitive little mind that's capable of thought, then accept it - you're beat," Yang said, her voice carrying across the void like the crackling of a bonfire. "Now you're gonna stop putting off the inevitable and take me back home, so we can finish what we started. Understood?"</p><p>She felt Raven stand. A portal opened behind Yang, and she turned to look.</p><p>It wasn't back home.</p><p>"Alright, then," she said. "You want a struggle… I'll give you one."</p><p>Raven came out of the darkness to tackle her into the portal, and Yang let her.</p><p>For a moment, they drifted through pulsating red energy, before they came out the other side – into water. Endless, all-encompassing water.</p><p>Steam rose in thick clouds around Yang, her eyes widening as she stared into Raven's eyes. The woman's lips curled, her teeth showing in the perverse twist of a smile.</p><p><em>Clever</em>, Yang thought. <em>But not clever enough</em>.</p><p>She smacked Raven's face with the back of her hand, making her let go of her, and shoved her away. They floated apart, Raven trying to grab Yang's foot, but she spun over and slammed it down atop Raven's head. She stomped for good measure, and Raven went slack, drifting gently downwards.</p><p><em>And stay down</em>.</p><p>Bubbles escaped Yang's lips, and she felt her chest start to constrict from the lack of air. She looked around wildly, trying to make sense of where she was. Where was <em>up</em>? Was there even an up in this place?</p><p>Finally she saw a faint light above her, and swam as fast as she could towards it. Her vision started to darken, air running out, and she reached out…</p><p>She broke through the surface, gasping for air. By some cosmic coincidence, or magic she couldn't hope to understand, there was oxygen there, and it filled her lungs just as well as Remnant's did. She looked to the sides and saw more water, stretching into every direction with seemingly no end. Then she looked up, and saw herself.</p><p>Yang blinked. What was she looking at? Just a couple meters above her head was… another surface. Another <em>ocean</em>, just as calm and fathomless as the one she floated in. How could that be? How did it not come crashing down with gravity?</p><p>Yang stopped asking those questions as she looked at her reflection. She almost thought she was looking at someone else for a moment, perhaps some alien version of her from another reality. Because surely that couldn't be her – her hair wasn't golden like that, and it wasn't supposed to glow like sunlight, and her eyes… Sometimes they turned red, when she was particularly angry or agitated. But not like this.</p><p>Not like her mother's.</p><p>She felt a tug on her leg, and suddenly she was submerged again, her head reeling back as a hand smashed against her nose. Raven appeared above her, dipping her head above the surface for a second, before she closed her hands around Yang's throat and held her under.</p><p>Yang kicked Raven repeatedly, trying to force her off her, but the demon didn't seem to care about the pain. They trashed under the water, but as much as Yang struggled, she couldn't get to the surface.</p><p>The water boiled around them. Yang stopped trashing, and turned her eyes to Raven's hands around her throat. She grabbed her wrist, and with her free hand, took every finger and forcefully pried them off. Raven's agitation was palpable, her head vibrating as she impotently watched Yang free herself.</p><p>The last finger came off, and Yang surged upwards, elbowing Raven in the face as she passed her. She breathed in deep, then turned her attention downwards as Raven came up to follow her. Yang grabbed her head before she could get to the surface, and pushed her down in a reversal of their struggle a moment before.</p><p>Raven was strong. The demon made her even stronger. At the beginning of their battle, Yang had barely been her match. But now it felt like she was holding back a child, and she didn't budge an inch as Raven trashed and kicked at her.</p><p><em>You're done</em>.</p><p>Gradually, Raven stopped struggling. Her limbs went slack, and she turned her eyes to meet Yang's. For the first time Yang saw something akin to emotion in them, the immeasurable anger and despair of a beast that had finally found an enemy it couldn't hope to defeat.</p><p>And in those dark orbs reflected the glow of Yang's red.</p><p>Yang trembled. The gold of her hair faded, and the water cooled around her. She let go.</p><p>Immediately, Raven sprung to action, grabbing Yang and swinging her around, hurling her towards the depths below. Yang barely registered the glow of a portal beneath her before she passed through.</p><p>She fell into a blizzard and hit snow.</p><p>Yang's eyes stung from the sudden brightness. She shielded them with her arm, keeping them open just a smidge to look at her fingers. She tried to make a flame jump off of them, or melt the snow around her, but they only shook in the cold, turning purple at the tips.</p><p>Raven dropped through the portal, landing right on top of Yang, and immediately started wailing on her. She curled up, but it did little to soften the blows, each subsequent one driving her deeper into the snow. It seeped through her clothes, and the biting cold combined with the glare of Raven's gaze brought tears to her eyes.</p><p>"St-top it! Raven!" Yang shouted. "<em>Mom</em>!"</p><p>Raven ignored her, grabbing her by the throat with one hand and lifting her off her feet. She pulled back her other hand, closing it for a final strike…</p><p>A noise rang through the air, so low it was barely audible, but it pierced through the storm anyway. Raven lowered her hand, a frown forming on her face. Yang saw a blur of motion behind her – and suddenly there was a creature clinging to Raven's neck, a silver-furred fox, its teeth biting into her skin.</p><p>Raven dropped Yang on the ground and yanked the fox off her neck. She made to toss it away, but it scurried around her hand and ran up her arm and shoulder, grabbing onto the back of her clothes with its tiny claws. Raven growled, spit flying off her mouth as she spun and tried to grab the animal.</p><p>As Yang crawled backwards, barely believing what she was seeing, another fox jumped out of the snow, and another, and another – too many for her to count. They circled Raven, their antennas bobbing up and down as they screeched at her, while some went on to jump on her legs and bite them.</p><p>"Holy shit," Yang muttered. She'd been <em>lucky </em>before. If that one fox she'd chased hadn't been so alone…</p><p>More and more foxes climbed onto Raven, until she collapsed under their weight, throwing up a snow cloud that obscured her from view. Yang stood up, wiping her eyes. Was this it? Was Raven done? If so, what – what was she supposed to do now?</p><p>But Raven wasn't done. A furious shout echoed through the blizzard, and she rose up, throwing the foxes of her. She had one in each hand, and she tossed them aside like they were dolls. Those went tumbling through the snow, releasing pained yells, and the entire pack ran off scared.</p><p>Yang and Raven stood, staring at each other amidst the storm, both breathing hard and slouching from their wounds.</p><p>Yang clenched her fists. The fire from before had yet to return, and she felt like any hit she took from now on might be the one to knock her out. But she was going to keep fighting. She was going to see this through to the end.</p><p>Raven seemed to detect that in her. Or maybe she just decided it was time to go. Setting her jaw, she took a step back, and a portal formed behind her.</p><p>"No, you don't," Yang said. "I'm not done with you yet."</p><p>She ran towards Raven, grabbing her by the collar just as she put a leg through the portal. They passed through, it closing behind Yang, and they once again drifted through the red vortex.</p><p>Unlike before, however, they didn't leave it. They stayed, floating weightlessly in the veil between worlds. Raven glared at Yang, trying to shake her off, but Yang refused to let go.</p><p>That sense of weightlessness lessened, replaced by a building pressure from head to toe, as if she were sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean. Yang grabbed on tighter. She looked at her hands and saw they were becoming fuzzier every second. It wasn't just her vision. Whatever physics held her together, the forces that made the collective matter that was <em>she</em>, were coming apart, and soon there would be no she. No Yang. Not a single atom.</p><p>They drifted, and black started to creep into the red around them, until there was nothing <em>but </em>black. Their trajectory took a turn, an invisible force pulling them along towards an ultimate destination… out of the vortex.</p><p>They landed side-by-side in rock-hard soil. Yang rose to her knees and looked. Black fields stretched on, broken up by spires of purplish crystals and viscous lakes. The sky was a sickly red, with no sun, no star, no moons. It was night, and it was cold in an entirely different way from the snowstorm they'd left.</p><p>Yang clutched her chest. She knew this feeling. It wasn't entirely different from the one she got from the demon. It was less intense, in a way, but there was a hopelessness that came with it. It brought it with it the knowledge that it would never truly be gone, even when she didn't feel it anymore.</p><p>Grimm.</p><p>It was Grimm she felt.</p><p>Yang jumped to her feet and looked at Raven. She was still on the ground on her hands and knees, shaking uncontrollably. Yang walked around her, awed by the sight, and saw her eyes changing from black to red in quick succession. The emotion they held didn't change, though. The sheer terror never left her eyes.</p><p>Suddenly, the sensation that afflicted Yang grew a hundred times worse, and she felt herself started to shake too. She looked around, seeing red eyes springing into view in the distance, but those didn't phase her. Something was coming. Something was coming and she did <em>not </em>want to be here when it arrived.</p><p>"Raven!" Yang said, crouching beside Raven. "We've got to get out of here <em>now</em>."</p><p>Raven didn't move.</p><p>"Come on, focus!" Yang yelled. "Do you want to die here?"</p><p>Raven blinked, her eyes going red, and for a good five seconds, they remained so. She gestured weakly with a hand, opening a portal in front of her, and by the time she was done with the motion, her eyes were black once again.</p><p>"Good enough," Yang said, grabbing Raven by the shoulders and shoving her through the portal. She jumped after her, and a moment later, she stood upon red-colored grass.</p><p>Yang looked around, seeing a river of fire in the distance, and fire trees beyond that. She looked towards Raven, who was kneeling on the ground. Her face was stained with tears, but she didn't move or make a sound.</p><p>"This isn't Remnant," Yang said. "Did you not get the memo? This is over."</p><p>She walked over and laid a hand on Raven's shoulder, but no sooner had she done that, Raven stood and slapped her across the face with the back of her hand. Yang stumbled back, touching her cheek. She looked into Raven's eyes, and saw only black.</p><p>Yang set her jaw. She walked over to Raven and, without saying a word, put a hand to her sternum and shoved her to the ground. Raven fell on her back, snarling, but she didn't dare move as the air around Yang ignited. The flames spun around her, faster with every second and growing in intensity, a roaring inferno that consumed everything it touched.</p><p>Yang's feet left the grass, and she slowly ascended towards the sky. She stopped and looked down, her eyes burning with the wrath of a vengeful goddess. She closed her right hand into a fist, and plummeted towards Raven, soaring the air like a comet…</p><p>…and punched the ground just beside Raven's head.</p><p>"You need a strong host so bad," Yang said, "I'm right in front of you."</p><p>She held Raven's gaze, their noses almost touching.</p><p>An eternity passed.</p><p>Slowly, the dark veins on Raven's face faded, and she fell back on the grass. Her eyes returned to their natural color, and she opened her mouth, releasing a haunting screech-</p><p>-in the blink of an eye, the demon flew from her lips and slipped between Yang's own.</p><hr/><p>For a moment, Yang didn't feel any different. She stood upright and stepped back, away from Raven, and looked at her hands. She moved her fingers one by one, then made fists and felt the strength course through her.</p><p>Then she realized <em>she</em> hadn't moved. She hadn't told her body to move – it had done so out of someone's else accord. And as she tried to lay her hands flat against her hips, they refused to obey.</p><p>The realization should have sent her into a panic. She knew that intellectually. Her body moving against her commands – was there a more terrifying thought than that? But she didn't feel distressed, or even bothered. She felt… nothing. Why should she worry about not being in control? That was for the best. It meant she didn't have to deal with all those things that had been so troublesome about life.</p><p>Her eyes turned to Raven, laid unconscious on the grass, bruised and bleeding from the course of their battle. Something cut through the indifference. A raw emotion that consumed her every thought.</p><p><em>Anger</em>.</p><p>It would be so easy to stomp on Raven's neck right now. It was what she deserved, after everything she'd put her through. Abandoning her. Sending her into danger. Yelling at her when she'd put her life at risk just to help her. The plan had been for her to die, anyway. Yang could just tell Qrow she'd had to do it. She wouldn't even have to pretend to be sad about it.</p><p>Qrow. Acting like he was so much better than his sister, but he had kept secrets from her too. Too many secrets. Always coming and going, like the occasional visit was enough to make up for Raven's absence. Probably patted himself in the back for it too.</p><p>And Dad. He'd lied to her all her life, and then he had the audacity to act like she should pity him. What did she care if he'd made mistakes when he was younger? Why did she have to pay for them? He was supposed to take care of her, and if he wasn't good enough then he should just own up to it!</p><p>And Ruby. Poor little Ruby, lost her mother so early. At least she'd <em>had </em>a mother, one who had actually wanted her and hadn't had to raise her just because she'd been thrust into her arms one day. And look how strong she was, so fearless, fighting evil was her calling and she did it with a smile on her face! And if she ended up in a coffin before her twentieth birthday, well, that just sucked for her family.</p><p>And Weiss, always treating everyone else like dirt. Blake, righteous Blake Belladonna, just another hypocrite deep down. Jaune, always sniveling, like the whole world should take pity on him, but he tried so hard! And Pyrrha, perfect Pyrrha, Yang should be so lucky to be a tenth the person she was. And-</p><p><em>No</em>.</p><p>She felt the tendrils wrapping around the fire inside her, and she held them at bay.</p><p>
  <em>That's not me. You could never have me.</em>
</p><p>She burned, and the demon screeched inside her. It unraveled from her soul and fled desperately, reaching for the outside, but Yang grabbed it by its tail and pulled it back. The world went up in flames around her, and all she saw was red, orange, and yellow.</p><p>With a mournful wail, the demon burned into nothing.</p><p>The fire died. Yang blinked, closed her eyes, and fainted.</p><hr/><p>Raven pushed herself up to her knees. She could barely support her own weight, her legs trembling beneath her.</p><p>It hardly mattered. The cold hand of terror was still wrapped around her, and all she could think about – if what she was doing could be considered <em>thinking </em>– was getting up and away from here, to find someplace to hide for another twenty years and perhaps never come out at the end.</p><p>That all vanished when she saw Yang splayed out on the grass.</p><p>Raven crawled over as fast as her body allowed her. She pressed two fingers over the girl's wrist, and sighed as she felt a pulse, faint but regular. She hesitated for a moment before she pulled the hair out of Yang's face and checked her over. It hardly felt possible, but Yang was in an even worse state than she was. And that was to say nothing of her clothes.</p><p>Raven shrugged her cloak off her shoulders and draped it over Yang, then stared at her for a while. With her eyes closed like that, she could almost be sleeping. What color would they be if she pried them open, Raven wondered.</p><p>Not the one she was hoping for, probably.</p><p>Squaring her shoulders, Raven passed her arms under Yang's back and knees, and lifted her up. She almost collapsed, the strain of the battle still there despite the few minutes of rest she'd had. But she found her footing, and after making sure Yang was secure and comfortable, walked away.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Bird daughter wake up?</em>
</p><p>Yang opened her eyes. She groaned. The world was a blur before her, but she could make out a blotch of bright red hovering close to her face.</p><p>
  <em>Bird daughter wake up! Less hurt?</em>
</p><p>Yang rubbed the blurriness off her eyes and looked around. She was in a clearing surrounded by maroon trees, with crackling flames in place of leaves. It was a familiar clearing. And before her hovered a familiar sprite.</p><p>"Firefly?" she croaked.</p><p><em>Is name bird daughter give. </em>Firefly landed on her nose for a couple seconds, leaning close to her forehead as if inspecting her, then floated back. <em>Less hurt?</em></p><p>"I guess? I've been worse," Yang said. "Probably."</p><p>
  <em>Friend family help recover. Fire help also.</em>
</p><p>"Thanks," Yang said. "Uh… How did I get here again?"</p><p>
  <em>Bird mother carry.</em>
</p><p>Yang looked down, taking note of the cloak she was wrapped in. Oh. That made sense. She supposed.</p><p><em>Bird mother fly cliff after arrive. </em>Firefly darted around her head. <em>Want see?</em></p><p>"…Sure," Yang said. "Can you take me there?"</p><p>She stood up, and Firefly led her away from the clearing, to the same cliff wall she'd climbed before to get rid of the water. She could see Raven sitting at the top, her legs hanging over the edge, but if she took notice of Yang, she didn't make it known.</p><p>"Well that's taking <em>antisocial</em> to a new level," Yang said. She looked at Firefly. "How am I supposed to get up there? I'm way too tired to climb all that way."</p><p><em>Bird daughter fly</em>. Firefly flittered up and down, as if tittering to itself. <em>Apology! Forget bird daughter cannot.</em></p><p>"Listen here, I'll have you know I <em>can </em>fly, actually," Yang said. "I just have to be very angry, I guess."</p><p><em>Dumb</em>.</p><p>"Keep dissing me, and next time I'll bring a bucket."</p><p>Firefly poked her in the cheek, then flew back to the village.</p><p>Yang looked up at the cliff again, wondering if her pride was worth running the risk of breaking her neck. She didn't want to have to ask Raven for help. But the decision was taken out of her hands when a portal opened beside her. She stared at it for a moment, pursing her lips, then sighed and stepped through.</p><p>She came out at the top of the cliff, just a few paces behind her mother. Raven looked over her shoulder, then turned to stare at the horizon again. The portal closed, and Yang walked over to sit beside Raven.</p><p>"This place," Raven said, not looking at her. "This is where I gave birth to you, you know."</p><p>Yang blinked. "No. I most certainly did <em>not </em>know that," she said. "Is that really how you're gonna open this conversation? What am I even supposed to do with that information?"</p><p>"I thought you'd find that interesting." Raven sighed. "I'm not good at candid conversations."</p><p>"Tell me something I don't know," Yang said. "…Maybe don't, actually."</p><p>She looked at the forest below, the hundreds upon hundreds of trees burning bright. She didn't know if there was a night in this place, but she wished there was so she could see how it would look then. It would make for quite a sight, she imagined.</p><p>"Is that why I'm… you know. The way I am," Yang said. "A fire child, or whatever."</p><p>"I imagine so. Though if so, I didn't do it on purpose," Raven said. "I didn't know what I was doing."</p><p>"Oh, is that a running theme with you?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Sadly, it is," Raven said. She finally turned her head to look at Yang, red eyes checking her up and down as if to take in every detail. "Are you injured? How do you feel?"</p><p>Yang looked away. Raven checking on her was not something she ever expected to happen, especially in such a direct manner.</p><p>"I'm okay," she said, embarrassed by how small she sounded. "What about you?"</p><p>"I'll be fine," Raven said. She pursed her lips, her eyes fleeing Yang repeatedly before she forced them back. "I'm sorry."</p><p>Yang flinched. Add another to the surprise list.</p><p>"For beating me up? That's… okay," Yang said. "That wasn't exactly you before. You were being controlled."</p><p>"We both know it's not that simple," Raven said. "It was my fault I was so easily controlled. I was… entirely consumed by that thing." She shook her head. "Or do you think it's happenstance that you were able to resist it, and I was not? And Shields. And… Vernal."</p><p>"So what, you think it's your fault because you weren't strong enough?" Yang said.</p><p>"If only that were the case." Raven grimaced. "No. The issue was, I had nothing else. And that, Yang, is the difference between you and I."</p><p>Raven looked into the distance, and Yang saw tears brimming in her eyes. She frowned. This was… new. To feel sad for her mother. A part of her, the part that was still angry about everything, told her Raven didn't deserve it. She'd gotten herself into this position, and she would just have to live with it.</p><p>"Well," Yang said. "Maybe it's not too late for you."</p><p>Raven glanced at her, her lips curving in a humorless grin. "I hope so."</p><p>They stared off at the horizon, the wind blowing gently on their faces, carrying with it a comforting warmth.</p><p>"So… Are we going home anytime soon, or…?"</p><hr/><p>It was the crack of dawn on Remnant. The portal to Qrow dropped them onto the street on the east side of Higanbana Bridge. There were a couple police cars parked on the side of the road, their sirens still blinking, but traffic into the bridge seemed to have resumed while they were gone.</p><p>Qrow and Taiyang were nearby, the latter sitting on the steps of an apartment while the other paced about nervously. They both turned their heads to look when the red light of the portal shone on the sidewalk.</p><p>"Yang!" Taiyang tackled her into a hug, almost knocking her over. "Oh, thank God! I thought I'd lost you!"</p><p>"Dad! Calm down," Yang said, patting him on the shoulders, and thankfully he got the message and backed away. "I'm right here. And, come on, you knew I was gonna be fine. Always am."</p><p>"That's easy for you to say," Taiyang grumbled. "I'm the one who has to wait on the sidelines. I swear, how you and your sister haven't made me go bald yet is a mystery."</p><p>"Eh." Yang smiled at him. "You're getting there."</p><p>Qrow walked over to them, not going for a hug but just ruffling Yang's hair a bit. His relief at seeing her was just as palpable, though.</p><p>"Glad you're okay, kiddo," he said. "The demon?"</p><p>"Dead and gone," Yang said, putting her hands on her hips. "I crisped it up real good."</p><p>"I'll have to get the whole story later," Qrow said.</p><p>He turned to Raven, who had backed away a few steps, her eyes glued to her feet.</p><p>"Good to see you too," Qrow said. "Here, I held onto this for you in the case that you didn't… you know, die horribly."</p><p>He offered her sword to her handle-first. Raven stared at it for a second, before she took it and deposited it back in its sheath.</p><p>"Thank you," Raven said. She looked at Taiyang, her eyes boring into him for a moment, before she looked at Qrow. "Vernal."</p><p>"Right." Qrow nodded. "They've recovered her body. I'll take you to her."</p><p>They walked off, leaving Yang and her father alone on the sidewalk.</p><p>"You want to go with them?" Taiyang asked.</p><p>"Maybe I should," Yang said. She hadn't had the best relationship with Vernal, for the little time they'd known each other, but she thought they'd found a connection. It only felt right to pay her respects. "But… I don't know if I wanna see that. And I think Raven needs some alone time with her."</p><p>Taiyang patted her on the back.</p><p>"That was <em>some </em>reunion, huh?" he said. "Don't think she looked at me for more than a second there."</p><p>"I don't think she was expecting you to be here," Yang said. "I may have forgotten to fill her in about that."</p><p>"Hmm. Or <em>maybe</em>… she got flustered because I've only gotten more handsome in my forties!" Taiyang said, rubbing his chin. "…Is it too soon for those jokes?"</p><p>Yang rolled her eyes. "I think it's <em>just </em>soon enough, Dad."</p><p>He grinned, no doubt already brainstorming all the punchlines that were now available to him. Which was just fine, because Yang was doing the exact same.</p><p>"So, you look like you're about to fall over," Taiyang said. "Wanna go back to the hotel and crash for a whole day?"</p><p>"Yes thank you," Yang said, groaning.</p><p>"And then go back to Vale after that, I assume?" he asked.</p><p>"I don't know… I think I need some time off before I go home," Yang said.</p><p>"We'll make this an impromptu father-daughter vacation, then! I know a couple spots around town I'd like to show you," Taiyang said. "How does that sound?"</p><p>Yang smiled.</p><p>"Sounds like just what I need."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Three Days Later</strong>
</p><p>Qrow wiped the sweat off his brow. He tossed his shovel aside and looked at Raven. She was quiet, the last lights of twilight reflecting off her eyes as she stared at the dirt grave.</p><p>It was going to be a chilly night, and Qrow would much prefer to be inside the camp right now, but Raven had made her choice. Maybe Vernal had told her what she would have liked sometime. Maybe she'd gone off what she knew.</p><p>"Do you wanna say a few words?" Qrow asked.</p><p>Raven frowned. "She knew those were not my forte," she said. "Besides… I don't know what I would say."</p><p>"I think she understands," Qrow said. "I might not have known her very well, but for what it's worth… She thought the world of you. And I think she was right to. Not a lot of people would have done what you did for her, Raven."</p><p>"Lead her to her death, you mean?" Raven said, and interrupted him before he could speak, "I don't need your platitudes, Qrow. And… we are supposed to talk about the deceased. Are we not?"</p><p>Qrow shrugged. He took out his flask and shook it in Raven's direction. "A drink in honor of the worst driver I've ever known?"</p><p>"That is forbidden." Raven looked at the flask disapprovingly. "…Hand it over."</p><p>Qrow tossed her the flask, and she uncorked it and took a big gulp. No sooner had it gone down her throat, she doubled over and coughed, throwing the flask back at him.</p><p>"That's the vilest thing I've ever tasted," Raven spat. "Is your tongue defective?"</p><p>Qrow chuckled. "You're adorable."</p><p>He took a small sip, then corked the flask and put it away. He stood with Raven beside the grave, hands in his pockets, as they waited for the sun to go down.</p><p>"What do you do," Raven said, "when you tell yourself a lie long enough that it becomes reality? How do you come back from that?"</p><p>"That, I think, is something you need to answer for yourself, Sis," Qrow said. "But I'll help you however I can, if you need me."</p><p>He fully expected her to ignore his offer, but Raven was full of surprises lately.</p><p>"There's one thing you can do for me," she said, nodding back at the camp. "All those artifacts I've accumulated over the years. I want you to take them. Hand them to Beacon, drop them in the ocean – I don't care. I just want them off my hands."</p><p>Qrow frowned. "Where's this coming from?"</p><p>"I'm disbanding the tribe," Raven said.</p><p>"Just like that? What about all those people?" Qrow asked.</p><p>"They can do whatever they want. They can stay together, for all I care," Raven said. "I'm just done digging graves."</p><p>Qrow took out his flask again. That called for another drink.</p><p>"Here's to that, Sis," he said. "Here's to that."</p><hr/><p>"Bye, Miss Yang!" Sadie said, waving at her from behind her father's legs. "It was nice to see you!"</p><p>"Hey, it was nice to see <em>you</em>," Yang said, crouching to ruffle her hair. "I promise I'll visit again sometime. If that's okay?"</p><p>She looked up at Brian, and he nodded with a tired smile on his lips. "That would make Sadie's day if you could, so yes."</p><p>"It's settled, then," Yang said, winking to Sadie. "But I've gotta go save the world now. Ruby's waiting for her partner to come back, you know."</p><p>"Tell her to kiss her robot girlfriend already!" Sadie exclaimed.</p><p>"Oh, I don't know if that would be any help. Trust me, we've all been waiting for that to happen."</p><p>She stood up, and Brian put a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Thank you," he said. "Really."</p><p>Yang smiled. "It's okay."</p><p>He nodded and closed the door.</p><p>Yang stood on the porch for a moment, her eyes stinging now that she didn't have to put on a strong face anymore. That had been difficult, but therapeutic too. And she fully intended on keeping her promise, and nothing was going to stop her this time.</p><p>She turned and walked down the steps, taking a deep breath on the sidewalk. Now to catch her flight back to Vale. And then her very normal life resumed…</p><p>"That was very thoughtful of you."</p><p>Yang jumped and nearly screamed her lungs out. Luckily she held herself back – Brian would have probably thought she was getting murdered or something. She turned to face Raven, who looked at her with a perfectly composed expression on her face.</p><p>"Hellhounds on a stick," Yang grumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Can you try and <em>work </em>on your openers, please?"</p><p>Raven raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you going home?"</p><p>"Yes…" Yang said. "Is this going to be a thing now? You stalking me, materializing out of the shadows like it's no big deal?"</p><p>"Qrow told me you were leaving tonight," Raven said. "I don't like airports."</p><p>Yang crossed her arms, waiting for Raven to elaborate. "Is there something you wanted to tell me, or…?"</p><p>"Do you remember what we felt before," Raven said, "in the Grimm plane?"</p><p>Oh, Yang remembered. It had gotten better as the days passed, but she still felt a chill on her spine whenever she thought back to that moment. She was sure to have a couple nightmares about it soon.</p><p>"I do," Yang said. "Why? What was it exactly?"</p><p>"That… was the enemy," Raven said.</p><p>Yang nodded. "Mhmm. And that's characteristically vague of you. Anything to add?"</p><p>"You're fighting a war, and you couldn't comprehend the scope of it. On that path awaits only suffering," Raven said. "I <em>strongly </em>advise you to reconsider your plans."</p><p>"I don't really <em>have </em>a plan," Yang said.</p><p>"All the more reason to start thinking of one."</p><p>Yang squinted. Raven was a serious person by nature, that much she knew, but she could tell she was being <em>especially </em>serious right now.</p><p>"Well… While I commend you on a strong, if unusual pitch…" Yang said. "I've gotta say no. Someone's gotta fight the good fight. And you know first-hand there's no one better than me."</p><p>"Well." Raven sighed. "I can't say I expected you to be convinced. You're a braver person than I'll ever be."</p><p>Yang beamed. "Thanks!"</p><p>"…and infinitely dumber."</p><p>"Aw."</p><p>Raven smirked. "See you, kid." She stepped back, the air around her shimmering as she started to shift.</p><p>"Wait, I have so many-"</p><p>Raven flew away, disappearing in the night sky.</p><p>"-questions."</p><p>Yang groaned. Raven's openers were terrible, but in contrast, her closers were pretty stylish. Still, both were equally infuriating.</p><p>"See you, Mom."</p><p>
  <strong>YANG XIAO LONG</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>WILL RETURN</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So that's it for Yang! Mostly. I'm gonna try something new and give it a few days before I upload the post-credits stingers. Thanks to Maldevinine for the suggestion!</p><p>I hope everyone enjoyed the story! It was certainly a bit of a roller-coaster ride, especially towards the end. Hopefully I did it justice. As for the future: I'll be writing and uploading two (very overdue) chapters for Tales from the Hunt Tower, and then... *drum beat* Juniper! No date for that one, but let's say... a couple months? Don't hold me to that, though.</p><p>Thanks for reading! Bye for now!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. There's a stinger in these stingers</h2></a>
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    <p>Raven stared at the campfire. It felt strange to be without people around her, even if she'd only had one person she'd actually wanted by her side for the longest time. But she was gone now, and so was everyone else.</p><p>It was for the best.</p><p>Raven stood up. She'd left it to Qrow to take care of the artifacts, and gotten rid herself of most of her personal belongings. All she had left were the sword, the cloak – she'd grown oddly attached to it recently – and the journal.</p><p>She took the book out, and stared at its blank brown cover. She didn't have to open it to see what was written inside, having committed nearly all of it to memory over the years. Maps and calculations; notes of places to avoid, dead ends and paths yet unexplored; on the first page, the rough sketch of a black sword.</p><p>Raven held the journal over the fire. The pages wavered in her hand, just above reach of the dancing embers. With a grimace, she took it back.</p><p><em>Just a safety net</em>, she told herself. <em>One day I'll be able to burn it too.</em></p><hr/><p>"Wow. That's… Wow." Ruby leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. "I'm gonna need, like, a week to process all of that."</p><p>Yang grinned. "Imagine how I feel."</p><p>Ruby sat straight, looking at Yang with a pout on her lips. "Are you okay, Yang? I mean, all that stuff… Fighting your own Mom. You can't be okay after that."</p><p>"Eh. You know what they say." Yang shrugged. "Trauma builds character!"</p><p>"I don't think anyone says that, Yang," Ruby said, her eyes narrowing.</p><p>"Sure they do," Yang said, with all the confidence in the world. "It's a common saying, Ruby."</p><p>Ruby frowned, and Yang could just see the inner machinations of her mind as she tried to figure out what was truth and what was lies.</p><p>"But seriously, Ruby. I'll be fine," Yang said. "Everything that happened was pretty harrowing, but ultimately, I'm glad I made the trip. Now if only so much death and destruction hadn't happened…"</p><p>Ruby nodded. "Does that mean you found what you were looking for?"</p><p>Yang stood up. "There wasn't anything to find." She leaned over to kiss Ruby on the forehead. "Nothing that I didn't already have, anyway."</p><p>Ruby smiled contently, her cheeks flushing. Yang chuckled.</p><p>"Anyway," Yang said. "There's <em>one question </em>above all others that I need answered."</p><p>She went to the kitchen, grabbed a matchbox from a drawer, and returned to the living room.</p><p>"Can I only eat magical fire," Yang posed, "or <em>all </em>kinds of fire?"</p><p>Ruby squinted at her, clearly not liking where this was going, but also too curious to stop it.</p><p>With a flourish, Yang took a matchstick and lit on the side of the box. She held it before her eyes, showed it to Ruby in ceremony, and then popped it inside her mouth. She held it against her tongue for a couple seconds, then spat it out, tears in her eyes.</p><p>"…Do you think Jaune will heal my tongue if I ask nicely?"</p><p>Ruby sighed. "I'll go wake him up."</p><hr/><p>Salem sat slouched on her throne, one hand tapping away idly, while with the other she held up her chin. There had been… interesting developments lately. Nothing so interesting to spur her into immediate action, but interesting nonetheless. And she wasn't the only one to feel that way.</p><p>"I can sense you burning with a question," she said, her voice echoing through the hall of her palace. "Speak."</p><p>Her servant came slinking out of the shadows, prostrating himself before her. His tail wrapped around his midsection, and he dared not meet her eyes.</p><p>"Oh, I wouldn't dare question my Goddess," he said breathily. "Such impertinence would be fit for punishment."</p><p>"I much prefer honesty to obedience born out of fear," she said. "I would like to think you understood that much, Tyrian."</p><p>"Of course. Of course, my Goddess. My apologies." He pressed his forehead to the floor, and looked up at her. "The Branwen woman… Why pull her into your most glorious realm, only to let her go?"</p><p>"Because no further action was necessary," Salem said. "Raven Branwen is a person wholly governed by fear. My meaning did not escape her grasp."</p><p>"Yes! A move befitting your wisdom," Tyrian said. "Ah, but what a shame… I would have liked to sink my stinger into that woman… Oooh, and to slice that precious daughter of hers to pieces right before her eyes!"</p><p>"That would have been distasteful," Salem said. "But of course, you would not know the difference."</p><p>She stood up and offered him her hand in pity. Tyrian stared at it, trembling violently, and nearly jumped to take it.</p><p>"Worry not, my most loyal servant…" she said, running her fingers through his hair. He shuddered at her touch. "Your time will come soon enough."</p>
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